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PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


Presented   by  cJVl  e/  CJ\\^\\^  o  X^ 


BR  121  .B87  1913 

^1926^^'  ^^^i^  James,  1844 

The  oid-time  religion 


THE   OLD-TIME   RELIGION 


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(       JAN  1 


•CC^' 


e_iai3 


THE 

OLD-TIME  RELIGION 


OR 


THE  FOUNDATIONS  OF  OUR  FAITH 


^ 


BY 


DAVID  JAMES  BURRELL,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

MINISTER  TO  THE  MARBLE  COLLEGIATE  CHURCH,  NEW  YORK 


.<^. 


AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY 

150    NASSAU    STREET  NEW   YORK 


Copyright,  1913,  by 
American  Tract  Society 


CONTENTS 

Part  I.— RELIGION 

PAGE 

A  Definition 9 

The     False     Religions 19 

The  Old  Time  Religion ^3 

Part  II.— THE   THREE   GREAT 
DOCTRINES 

THE  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD 

The  One  True  God 47 

The  God  of  Creation .      .      .61 

The  God  of  Providence yy 

THE  DOCTRINE  OF  MAN 

The   First  Man 90 

The    Measure   of   a    Man 102 

Whose  Man  Am  I? 112 

THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  GOD-MAN 

His  Birth 122 

His  Character 133 

His  Inaugural  Sermon 143 

His  Teaching 154 

His  Social  Ethics 168 

5 


6  Contents 

PAGE 

THE    DOCTRINE    OF   THE   GOD-MAN— Continued 

His  Sacerdotal    Prayer 179 

His  Great  Promise i93 

His  Atoning   Work 204 

His  Royal   Seal 212 

His  Influence 223 

Part  III.— ITS  AUTHORITY:   THE  BIBLE 

Why    I    Believe    It 241 

What  Shall  We  Do  With  It? 259 

How  TO   Read   It 270 

Part  IV— ITS  ORGANIZATION:    THE 
CHURCH 

*'A  Building  Fitly  Framed  Together" 283 

The  Dynamic  of  the  Church 295 

A  Mobilized  Church 309 

The  Church  at  the  Crossroads 319 

The    Church    Triumphant 331 

Forward  to   Christ!     ..........  341 


PART  I 

RELIGION 


A  Definition p^^^      ^ 

The   False   Religions     ....     Page     19 
The  Old-Time   Religion     .     .     .     Page    33 


THE 

OLD-TIME    RELIGION 

OR 

THE    FOUNDATIONS    OF   OUR    FAITH 

Part  I-RELIGION 
A  DEFINITION 


Origin  of  the  word. — The  quest. — Four  characteristics. 
' — Not  a  creed. — Not  a  liturgy. — Not  a  confession. 
—The  two  hemispheres:  Doing  good,  being  good. — 
Religion  impossible  without  Christ. 

Origin  of  the  word. — The  word  religion  Is  said 
to  come  from  religare^  meaning  "to  bind  back." 
We  were  created  In  the  likeness  of  God  but  have 
somehow  become  alienated  from  him.  As  the 
planets  were  made  to  move  obediently  In  their 
orbits,  so  we  were  made  to  live  In  harmony  with 
divine  law;  but,  alas,  we  have  "transgressed,"  that 
Is,  crossed  the  line.  In  so  doing  we  have  exiled 
ourselves  from  God,  like  planets  swept  out  of 
their  orbits  Into  lawless  space.  We  have  sinned; 
and  without  holiness  "no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 
The  question  of  all  questions  now  is:  How  can  we 
be  restored  to  him? 


lo  Religion 

If  this  be  so,  the  search  for  religion  Is  the  no- 
blest that  can  engage  our  energies.  But  where 
shall  we  find  It?  Take  heed;  for  there  are  fabri- 
cations many  and  diverse  counterfeits  passing  cur- 
rent under  that  name.  The  test  Is  a  simple  one. 
A  genuine  religion  must  do  what  It  proposes  to 
do;  that  Is,  It  must  bind  the  soul  of  the  sinner  back 
to  God. 

The  quest. — For  our  guidance  In  this  quest  we 
have  the  Bible.  It  Is  a  revelation  or  "unveiling" 
of  God  as  the  Saviour  of  men.  As  such  It  Is 
authoritative  and  trustworthy,  having  been  written 
by  men  who  "spake  from  God,  being  moved  by 
the  Holy  Spirit."  2  Peter  1:21. 

And  for  our  further  guidance  we  have  Christ, 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God;  as  It  Is  written,  "In 
the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God;  .  .  .  and  the 
Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us."  We 
perceive  him  walking  through  the  Scriptures,  from 
the  first  prophecy  In  Eden  to  the  last  vision  of  the 
Apocalypse,  as  the  teacher  of  religion.  This  was 
the  theme  of  his  ministry  on  earth.  The  religion 
which  he  set  forth  Is  called  "The  ministry  of  rec- 
onclhatlon,"  because  It  presents  a  definite  plan  for 
the  recovery  of  our  lost  estate.  The  man  who  ac- 
cepts It  Is  homeward  bound. 

Four  characteristics. — The  religion  thus  out- 
lined In  the  written  and  Incarnate  Word  Is  defined 
by  the  Apostle  James:    "Pure  religion  and  unde- 


A  Definition  ii 

filed  before  our  God  and  Father  Is  this,  to  visit  the 
fatherless  and  widows  In  their  affliction  and  to  keep 
oneself  unspotted  from  the  world."  James  1 127. 
Now  James  was  the  ultllitarian  among  the 
apostles.  He  was  a  theologian  with  a  clear 
eye  to  the  needs  of  practical  life.  The  re- 
ligion which  he  thus  defined  Is  marked  by  four 
characteristics.  It  is  not  one  among  many,  but  the 
only  one.  It  is  "pure  and  undefiled";  that  is,  not 
a  mixture  of  truth  and  error,  but  absolutely  fault- 
less every  way.  It  Is  acceptable  to  God.  There 
are  many  systems  of  faith  and  conduct  which  com- 
mend themselves  to  various  classes  of  men;  but  the 
true  religion  Is  that  which  passes  muster  before 
the  Holy  One.  It  does  what  It  proposes  to  do; 
that  is.  It  binds  the  sinner  back  to  God. 

By  this  definition  of  Religion  three  things  are 
ruled  out  as  non-essential  and  two  are  counted  in. 
As  to  the  things  which  are  ruled  out,  James  Inti- 
mates that  religion  is 

Not  a  creed. — A  creed  is  necessary  as  a  symbol 
of  faith;  nevertheless  a  man  may  be  orthodox  and 
not  religious  at  all.  A  man  without  a  creed  Is  an 
invertebrate:  but  a  man  with  a  creed  and  nothing 
else  is  a  lifeless  automaton:  because  "as  he  think- 
eth  within  himself  so  is  he."  A  creed  is  like  a 
physician's  prescription — a  paper  full  of  zigzag 
characters,  having  no  value  except  as  It  stands  for 
something.  It  Is  not  the  paper,  but  the  thing 
which  It  stands  for,  that  must  be  taken  inwardly  to 
effect  a  cure. 


12  Religion 

Not  a  liturgy. — Rites  and  ceremonies  are  Im- 
portant; but  they  are  not  the  essential  thing.  They 
are,  as  Salter  says,  "the  aliment  of  religion  but  not 
Its  life,  the  fuel  but  not  the  flame,  the  scaffolding 
but  not  the  edifice."  They  are  like  the  vial  Into 
which  the  apothecary  puts  the  prescription;  it  Is 
necessary,  yet  of  no  value  whatever  except  for  what 
it  holds.  To  place  one's  confidence  In  the  saving 
power  of  the  Church  and  its  sacraments  Is  as  vain 
as  it  would  be  for  a  patient  to  expect  to  be  cured 
of  a  mortal  malady  by  the  application  of  the  vial 
rather  than  by  the  remedy  within  It. 

Not  a  confession. — Such  a  confession  Is  Impor- 
tant; for  Is  It  not  written,  "With  the  heart  man  be- 
lleveth  unto  righteousness  and  with  the  mouth  con- 
fession Is  made  unto  salvation"  ?  The  man  who 
imagines  himself  to  be  a  Christian  without  com- 
ing out  Into  the  open  may  well  question  the  sin- 
cerity of  his  faith  and  the  validity  of  his  hope.  An 
open  confession  is  like  the  label  on  the  vial.  The 
law  requires  It,  because  there  Is  no  telling  what 
mistakes  might  occur  without  It.  But  the  label  has 
no  value  except  as  it  describes  something.  Lip- 
service  has  a  place  in  religion  only  so  far  as  the 
lips  serve  the  heart,  the  heart  being  true  to  truth 
and  righteousness. 

Now  these  are  the  things  which  religion  is  not. 
They  are  necessary  as  Indications  and  concomitants 
of  religion;  but  they  are  only  the  shadows  of  it. 
Where    is   the   substance,    the   essential   thing,   by 


A  Definition  13 

which  the  soul  Is  healed,  as  when  medicine — the 
medicine  called  for  by  the  prescription,  contained 
in  the  vial  and  duly  labelled — being  taken  into  the 
system  tinds  its  way  into  blood  and  sinew  and 
expresses  itself  in  terms  of  physical  life? 

The  two  hemispheres  of  religion  as  set  forth  by 
James,  are  doing  good  and  being  good.  And  it 
is  characteristic  of  this  apostle  of  the  practical  life 
that  he  puts  the  former  before  the  latter,  unselfish- 
ness before  self,  beneficence  being  the  keynote  of 
character. 

The  doing  good  is  expressed  In  the  words  "to 
visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  In  their  affliction." 

The  world  Is  full  of  such  needy  and  helpless 
ones;  and  our  relation  to  them  was  Indicated  by 
our  Lord  In  clearest  terms  when  he  said,  "Inas- 
much as  ye  have  done  It  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  ye  have  done  It  unto  me." 

It  is  related  of  Palmarls,  a  devotee  of  the 
twelfth  centur}-.  that  in  token  of  repentance  he  set 
out  from  his  home  at  Placenza  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
Jerusalem.  He  had  not  proceeded  far,  however, 
when  his  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  a  vision,  saying, 
"I  care  not  for  thy  pious  pilgrimage.  There  are 
widows  and  fatherless  at  Placenza  who  need  thee; 
go  back  and  visit  them!"  He  was  not  disobedient 
to  the  heavenly  vision,  the  legend  says,  but  return- 
ing to  his  native  town  founded  charitable  institu- 
tions which  have  preserved  his  name  In  the  odor 
of  sanctitv  to  this  dav. 


14  Religion 

It  Is  clear,  however,  that  the  visitation  of  the 
widows  and  the  fatherless  is  merely  a  specific  term 
used  to  designate  a  general  duty.  The  reference 
is  to  all  unselfish  service.  Sin  is  self-seeking:  the 
first  step  Godward  is  out  of  self  Into  self-sacrifice. 
He  who  would  be  greatest  In  the  Kingdom  of  God 
must  be  servant  of  all. 

But,  judged  by  this  criterion,  where  is  the  per- 
fectly religious  man?  Did  ever  one  live  In  this 
world  who  so  far  forgot  himself  as  to  give  himself 
wholly  and  unreservedly  for  his  fellow-men?  Yes, 
one.  He  stands  alone  as  the  religious  exemplar  of 
the  ages.  He  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto  but 
to  minister.  He  was  everybody's  friend.  He  for- 
got himself  in  remembering  others.  He  heard  the 
cry  of  the  friendless  in  the  porches  of  Bethesda; 
he  healed  the  sicknesses  of  those  who  were  laid  on 
couches  along  the  way.  Ministry  was  his  meat  and 
drink.  His  life  is  comprehended  In  a  brief  sen- 
tence, ''He  went  about  doing  good."  Its  end  was 
at  Golgotha;  where,  in  the  one  mighty  deed  of 
self-sacrifice  which  set  the  pattern  of  beneficence 
for  all  succeeding  ages,  he  "tasted  death  for  every 
man."  This  is  the  hemisphere  of  religion  on  its 
manward  side.  Let  that  mind  be  In  you  which 
was  also  in  Christ  Jesus.  "To  do  good  and  to 
communicate  forget  not." 

The  being  good  Is  expressed  In  the  words  "and 
to  keep  oneself  unspotted  from  the  world." 

But  just  there  is  the  difficulty.     How  shall  one 


A  Definition  15 

keep  oneself  unspotted  from  the  world  ?  The  spot 
is  there!  Among  all  the  children  of  men  there 
Is  not  one  who  does  not  realize  It.  The  "damned 
spot,"  as  Lady  Macbeth  calls  It,  Is  there  and, 
despite  all  earth's  purgings,  It  Is  there  to  stay. 
"All  great  Neptune's  ocean  cannot  wash  It  clean." 
How  vain  to  speak  or  even  think  of  "keeping  one- 
self unspotted  from  the  world"  while  that  remains, 
the  Ineradicable  stain  of  sin! 

The  first  thing  to  be  done,  obviously.  Is  to  get 
rid  of  that  spot.  Is  It  possible?  Do  you  know  of 
anything  that  can  wash  It  out?  In  all  the  religions 
of  the  world,  save  one,  there  Is  no  suggestion  of 
any  means  of  doing  It.  The  only  plan  which  has 
ever  been  intimated  Is  that  which  points  to  the 
Cross,  saying,  "Come  now  and  let  us  reason  to- 
gether, salth  Jehovah;  though  your  sins  be  as  scar- 
let, they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow,  though  they 
be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  A 
man  who  Is  truly  in  quest  of  religion  will  not  be 
satisfied  with  any  which  does  not  effect  this  purg- 
ing. And  If  he  is  really  sincere  and  In  earnest, 
he  will  fall  In  with  the  one  "pure  and  undefiled 
religion"  which  proposes  to  do  It.  He;re  is  the 
proposition:  "The  blood  of  Jesus,  his  Son,  cleans- 
eth  us  from  all  sin." 

*'  There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood, 
Drawn  from  Immanuel's  veins; 
And  sinners  plunged  beneath  that  flood 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains." 


1 6  Religion 

The  fact,  however,  that  a  fountain  has  been 
opened  for  uncleanhness  has  obviously  no  value  ex- 
cept for  such  as  take  advantage  of  it.  The  remis- 
sion of  sins  is  offered  "without  money  and  without 
price" ;  but  it  remains  for  the  sinner  to  appropriate 
it.  The  fountain  is  there;  he  must  wash  and  be 
clean.  This  means  that  Christ  must  be  believed 
In;  as  it  is  written,  "He  that  believeth  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  shall  be  saved."  He  that  so  believeth 
Is  already  saved,  here  and  now.  His  sin  Is  for- 
given and  his  Iniquity  is  purged.  The  spot  is 
gone! 

This  matter  of  prime  importance  having  been 
attended  to,  all  the  rest  of  religion,  so  far  as  char- 
acter Is  concerned,  is  "to  keep  oneself  unspotted," 
that  is,  to  refrain  from  sin.  This  Is  possible  in 
only  one  way.  So  long  as  a  man  keeps  company 
with  Christ  he  cannot  sin.  Try  it.  If  you  will. 
Try  to  do  a  wrong  thing  while  Christ  Is  walking 
with  you.  No  man  ever  did  it.  Sin  becomes  pos- 
sible only  when  we  fling  Christ  off.  It  would  never 
have  been  written  that  Peter  "denied  his  Lord" 
had  it  not  been  written  In  a  previous  sentence  that 
"he  followed  him  afar  off."  Our  Lord  has  prom- 
ised to  keep  those  who  keep  In  touch  with  him. 
In  his  sacerdotal  prayer  he  says,  "Father,  I  have 
kept  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me."  That  word 
"kept"  Is  a  great  word;  and  the  secret  of  being 
thus  kept  Is  in  practising  the  presence  of  Christ. 

Religion  impossible  without  Christ. — Now  this 
is  practical  religion,  as  James  defines  It.    And  there 


A  Definition  17 

Is  one  Inevitable  conclusion;  namely,  Religion  is 
impossible  without  Christ.  One  may  call  himself 
religious,  may  pay  tithes  and  offer  sacrifices  and 
cry  "Lord !  Lord !"  but  he  has  not  found  that  "pure 
and  undefiled  religion"  which  brings  the  soul  back 
to  God  unless  he  has  accepted  him  who  said,  "I 
am  the  way;  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but 
by  me."  You  cannot  go  around  Christ  and  get 
back  to  God.  You  cannot  get  rid  of  the  spot  with- 
out the  cleansing  of  his  blood.  You  cannot  keep 
yourself  "unspotted  from  the  world"  except  as  you 
are  "kept"  by  him.  And  you  cannot  practise  that 
unselfish  beneficence  In  default  of  which  religion  is 
but  an  empty  show  without  following  in  his  steps. 

The  definition  of  religion  is  thus  reduced  to  a 
single  word,  namely,  Christ.  He  is  made  unto  us 
wisdom  and  righteousness  and  sanctification  and 
redemption.     He  Is  first,  last,  midst  and  all  In  all. 

It  is  related  that  a  young  ruler  once  came  to 
Jesus  saying,  "Teacher,  what  good  thing  shall  I 
do  that  I  may  have  eternal  hfe?"  What  he 
wanted  was  religion,  but  where  should  he  find  it? 
Jesus  said,  "If  thou  wouldest  enter  into  life,  keep 
the  commandments."  His  answer  was,  "All  these 
things  have  I  observed.  What  lack  I  yet?"  He 
had  done  his  best,  but  had  not  found  religion. 
There  was  something  still  lacking.  Then  Jesus, 
bidding  him  part  with  everything  that  separated 
betwixt  him  and  the  better  life,  added,  "Come,  fol- 
low me." 

,^-     This  Is  the  sum  and  substance  of  religion:  to 
follow  Christ.     He  is  "the  Way,"  and  the  only 


1 8  Religion 

Way.  All  other  ways  are  by-ways.  All  other 
leaders  are  blind  leaders  of  the  blind.  Wherefore 
the  only  religion  is  the  religion  of  Christ,  since 
this  alone  can  bind  a  sinner  back  to  God. 


THE    FALSE   RELIGIONS 


Apologies  for  Christianity. — No  compromise. — Marks 
of  true  religion.— It  is  of  God.— It  saves  men.— It 
makes  for  righteousness. — It  is  universal. 

Apologies  for  Christianity .— I  make  no  apology 
for  speaking  of  *'the  false  religions"  or  of  phras- 
ing my  subject  that  way.  I  am  tired  of  hearing 
eulogiums  on  Islam  and  Buddhism  and  Confu- 
cianism and  half-hearted  apologies  for  Christian- 
ity, sometimes  from  men  who  are  in  covenant  vows 
to  preach  and  "maintain  and  defend"  the  religion 
of  Christ. 

I  am  tired  also  of  hearing  it  repeated  over,  over 
and  over  with  great  emphasis  that  "there  are  good 
things  in  all  religions."  Why  say  a  simple  and 
self-evident  thing  In  such  a  solemn  way?  Of 
course  there  are  good  things  in  all  religious  sys- 
tems, as  there  is  an  element  of  goodness  in  almost 
everything  of  this  world  of  ours.  There  is  gold 
not  only  in  quartz  but  in  granite,  in  old  red  sand- 
stone, in  blue  clay,  in  sand  and  sea  water;  but  the 
question  is  whether  it  is  there  in  paying  quantities 
or  not. 

A  lot  of  fine  things  could  easily  be  said  about 
19 


20  Religion 

Dagon;  who  was  really  intended  to  be  a  shadow- 
ing forth  of  the  true  God.  He  was  the  national 
idol  of  the  Phihstines;  the  patron  of  arts  and  com- 
merce and  agriculture;  the  center  of  innumerable 
hopes  and  fears.  Nevertheless,  the  sanctuary  of 
the  Philistines  was  not  large  enough  to  contain  him 
and  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  at  the  same  time. 
I  Samuel  5  :  1-4. 

This  is  another  way  of  saying  that  the  true  re- 
ligion is  exclusive.  There  is  only  one  God;  and 
there  is  not  room  in  the  universe  for  more  than 
one.  There  is  only  one  religion,  one  Book  of  ulti- 
mate authority  as  to  spiritual  things,  one  Christ 
and  one  tross,  one  Way  of  everlasting  life. 

No  compromise.— It  follows  that  there  can  be 
no  compromise.  Our  rehgion  is  not  one  among 
religions,  nor  the  best  among  them :  it  is  the  only 
one.  It  was  so  preached  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
as  when  he  said,  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
hath  everlasting  life;  and  he  that  believeth  not,  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him";  and,  inasmuch  as 
the  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  Lord,  it  must 
be  so  preached  by  those  who  truly  follow  him. 

In  the  Calendar  of  the  Roman  Church  there  are 
two  saints  canonized  for  their  missionary  work. 
One  of  them  is  St.  Francis  Xavier,  who  went  to 
Japan  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  to 
preach  the  gospel.  He  found  the  people  so  wedded 
to  their  idols  that  his  efforts  were  wholly  unavail- 
ing.   Then  he  resorted  to  a  compromise,  persuad- 


The  False  Religions  21 

ing  them  to  combine  their  worship  of  a  certain 
goddess  with  that  of  the  virgin  mother  of  Christ. 
What  was  the  result?  Now,  after  the  expiration 
of  more  than  three  hundred  years,  there  is  said  to 
be  a  colony  of  the  Japanese  people  who  worship, 
with  all  Idolatrous  rites  and  ceremonies,  an  idol 
whom  they  call  ''the  goddess  Mary." 

The  other  of  these  missionaries  was  St.  Boni- 
face, who  went  to  Germany  on  a  like  errand.  He, 
however,  recognized  the  fact  that  there  can  be  no 
compromise  between  truth  and  error.  On  finding 
It  impossible  to  propagate  the  gospel  without  a 
final  and  complete  severance  of  the  people  from 
their  Idolatry,  he  bravely  felled  the  sacred  oak  of 
Thor,  at  peril  of  his  life.  What  was  the  result 
in  this  case?  The  people  came  over  to  Christ  like 
doves  flocking  to  their  windows,  and  Germany  is 
a  Christian  nation  to-day. 

This  was  in  pursuance  of  the  method  divinely 
prescribed  for  us  :  as  It  is  written,  "What  fellow- 
ship have  righteousness  and  iniquity?  or  what  com- 
munion hath  light  with  darkness  ?  And  what  con- 
cord hath  Christ  with  Belial?  or  what  part  hath 
he  that  believeth  with  an  Infidel?  And  what  agree- 
ment hath  the  temple  of  God  with  Idols?  For  ye 
are  the  temple  of  the  living  God;  as  he  hath  said, 
I  will  dwell  in  them  and  walk  In  them;  and  I  will 
be  their  God;  and  they  shall  be  my  people. 
Wherefore  come  ye  out  from  among  them  and  be 
ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  no  unclean 
thing;  and  I  will  receive  you." 


22  Religion 

Marks  of  true  religion. — The  true  religion  Is  set 
apart  from  the  false  religions  by  certain  marks :  by 
which  great  chasms,  infinite  and  unbridgeable,  are 
opened  up  between  them. 

It  is  of  God. —  Our  religion  Is  of  God;  while  all 
others  are  of  man.  It  comes  to  us  by  revelation. 
There  are  truths  which  are  generic  and  intuitive, 
such  as  the  being  of  God  and  the  doctrine  of  im- 
mortality; but  there  are  others  which  could  never 
be  clearly  known  or  duly  authenticated  except  by  a 
direct  message  from  God;  as,  for  example,  the 
Atonement,  which  is  the  great  underlying  truth  of 
the  religion  of  Christ.  For  this,  and  for  an  au- 
thoritative statement  of  our  religious  intuitions 
also,  we  are  Indebted  to  that  direct  revelation  which 
Is  contained  in  the  Bible  as  the  inspired  Word  of 
God. 

On  this  point  we  rest  our  faith  in  the  great  veri- 
ties. Our  last  appeal  In  the  settlement  of  all  spirit- 
ual problems  is  not  to  the  Church,  nor  to  our 
Inner  consciousness,  but  to  a  "Thus  salth  the 
Lord."  His  word  Is,  for  us,  an  end  of  con- 
troversy. "Here  I  stand;  I  cannot  otherwise;  God 
help  me!" 

But  are  there  not  other  so-called  sacred  books 
that  claim  to  have  come  from  God?  Yes,  the 
Koran,  for  example.  But  they  cannot  and  do  not 
seriously  undertake  to  vindicate  that  claim.  The 
Koran  is  said  to  have  fallen  down  out  of  heaven; 
but  that  claim  is  effectively  disposed  of  by  the  fact 


The  False  Religions  23 

that  the  Koran  rests  on  three  frightful  pillars,  to 
wit:  War,  Polygamy  and  Concubinage. 

We  hear  a  great  deal.  In  some  quarters,  about 
the  excellency  of  the  Vedas.  Can  the  Vedas  vin- 
dicate their  claim?  Let  Max  Miiller  answer,  who, 
as  a  great  Orientalist,  should  be  competent  to  speak 
in  these  premises.  When  he  was  translating  the 
literature  of  the  false  religions  he  apologized  for 
expurgating  the  Vedas,  saying  that  a  literal  version 
would  have  exposed  him  to  Indictment  under  the 
English  law  against  the  circulation  of  obscene  lit- 
erature ! 

The  Bible,  on  the  contrary,  stands  prepared  to 
vindicate  itself.  It  challenges  criticism  and  fear- 
lessly affirms  its  inspiration.  And  It  offers  its  own 
definition  of  inspiration,  In  the  word  theopnustia, 
which  means  "breathed  of  God."  It  affirms  that 
it  was  written  by  men  who  "spake  from  God,  being 
moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 

It  saves  men. — The  second  of  the  great,  un- 
bridgeable chasms  by  which  Christianity  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  false  religions  is  the  fact  that  it 
proposes  to  save  men.  It  does  this  by  the  atone- 
ment of  the  Cross. 

In  all  the  other  religions  and  philosophies  of  the 
world  there  is  no  hint  or  suggestion  of  any  plan 
by  which  the  record  of  the  misllved  past  can  be 
blotted  out.  And  herein  lies  the  supreme  argu- 
ment for  the  excluslveness  of  Christianity  as  the 
one   true    religion.      The   word   means    "to   bind 


24  Religion 

back."  No  religion,  therefore,  can  be  a  true  re- 
ligion which  does  not  ''bind  back"  or  restore  the 
soul  to  God.  That,  however,  is  impossible  without 
the  removal  of  sin;  since  "without  hohness  no  man 
shall  see  God." 

I  marvel  that  any  professing  Christian  should 
undertake  a  comparison  of  religions  without  a  pres- 
entation of  this  great  differentiating  fact.  For  here 
is  the  pre-eminent  truth  which  conclusively  proves 
its  divine  origin  and  character.  The  Cross !  The 
wonderful  Cross!  The  divine  Cross!  "The  Jews 
ask  for  signs,  and  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom;  but 
we  preach,"  what?  Not  Christ  only,  but  "Christ 
crucified;  unto  Jews  a  stumbling-block  and  unto 
Gentiles  foolishness;  but  unto  them  that  are 
called,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of 
God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God!" 

Ours  is  the  only  religion  that  answers  the  great 
question  that  throbs  deep  down  in  the  heart  of 
every  man,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?" 

Ask  that  of  the  Hindu  and  he  will  answer, 
"Apavarga" ;  that  being  the  keynote  of  Brahman- 
ism;  by  which  he  means  that  the  only  salvation  is 
in  the  contemplation  of  the  Infinite  until  the  soul 
loses  its  identity  in  the  universal  All,  as  a  drop  of 
water  is  exhaled  and,  after  hanging  suspended  for 
a  time  as  vapor  in  the  air,  drops  finally  to  be 
lost  forever  in  the  sea. 

Ask  a  Buddhist,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
and  he  will  answer,  "Karma" ;  that  being  the  key- 
note of  Buddhism.     Karma  is  "the  law  of  conse- 


The  False  Religions  25 

quences,"  namely,  ''Whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that 
shall  he  also  reap";  and  there  is  no  escape  from  it. 
"The  mills  grind  slow,  but  they  grind  woe." 

Ask  a  Moslem,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
and  he  will  answer,  "Kismet";  that  being  the  key- 
note of  Mohammedanism.  It  designates  "the  law 
of  destiny";  that  is  "What  is  to  be  must  be;  and 
there  is  no  resisting  it."  If  you  ask  your  Moslem 
to  be  more  specific,  he  will  point  to  the  teaching  of 
Mohammed  where  it  is  written :  "When  God  was 
about  to  create  man  he  took  a  mass  of  clay;  and 
casting  one  part  upward  he  cried,  'These  to  heav- 
en; and  I  care  not!'  and  casting  the  other  down- 
ward he  cried,  'These  to  hell;  and  I  care  not!  '  " 

Ask  a  Confucianist,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved?"  and  he  will  answer,  "There  is  no  salvation 
except  for  the  present  life."  This  was  the  teaching 
of  Kung-foo-tse,  who  said,  "If  there  be  a  God  I 
know  not;  and  if  there  be  a  future,  I  know  not.  I 
only  know  that  we  are  living  here  and  now  and 
must  make  the  most  of  it."  A  man  in  the  interior 
of  China  after  attending  a  Christian  mission  for  a 
while  and  getting  no  light,  came  to  the  missionary 
one  morning  in  a  happy  mood,  saying,  "I  dreamed 
last  night;  and  now  I  understand.  I  seemed  to 
have  fallen  into  a  deep  pit  where  I  lay  helpless  and 
despairing.  A  priest  of  Confucius  leaned  over  the 
edge  and  said,  'Let  me  give  you  some  advice,  my 
friend;  if  you  get  out  of  your  trouble,  never  get 
in  again.'  A  priest  of  Buddha  came  and  stretched 
his  arm  over  the  edge,  saying,  'If  you  can  manage 


26  Religion 

to  climb  up  so  that  I  can  reach  you,  I  will  help  you 
out.'  Then  Christ  came;  and  he  climbed  down 
into  the  pit  and  carried  me  out  of  it."  This  is 
precisely  what  Christ  does:  he  promises  to  save; 
he  asks  only  our  consent,  and  then  he  does  it  all. 

And  he  saves  the  whole  man,  body  and  soul. 
Our  Lord  is  not  unmindful  of  the  life  here  and 
now.  When  on  earth,  he  fed  the  hungry  and 
healed  the  sick  who  were  laid  on  couches  along  the 
way.  He  expects  his  disciples  to  minister  to  the 
necessities  of  the  poor  and  unfortunate;  and  they 
are  doing  it. 

The  Church  is  criticised  for  Its  indifference  to 
social  conditions;  but  an  examination  of  our  Char- 
ity Directories  will  show  that  the  vast  majority 
of  our  humane  enterprises  are  being  carried  on  by 
Christian  people.  There  is  more  power  for  social 
reform  and  benevolent  enterprise  in  the  little  finger 
of  the  Church  than  in  the  loins  of  all  secular  and 
spectacular  organizations  outside  of  it.  Not  that 
we  are  doing  all  that  we  ought  to  do ;  only  that  we 
are  doing  so  much  that  it  ill  becomes  outsiders  to 
criticise  us.  The  biography  of  our  Lord  was 
briefly  written  in  the  words,  "He  went  about  doing 
good";  and  his  disciples,  though  handicapped  by 
the  limitations  of  human  imperfection,  are  follow- 
ing in  his  steps  in  making  this  world  a  better  world 
to  live  in. 

But  we  are  not  blind  to  the  immortal  needs  of 
men.  The  familiar  fling  at  our  "other-worldli- 
ness"  is  well  taken.     We  plead  guilty  to  a  belief 


The  False  Religions  27 

that,  as  eternity  is  longer  than  time,  it  behooves  us 
to  be  getting  ready  for  it.  We  live  forever !  Our 
life  here  Is  only  an  Infinitesimal  arc  of  an  infinite 
circle.  "Eternity!  Eternity!  How  long  art 
thou !"  We  are  bound  in  reason  to  put  a  right 
estimate  on  the  relative  importance  of  things.  It 
is  a  spurious  charity  that  feeds  and  clothes  a  man, 
puts  a  roof  over  his  head  and  betters  his  earthly 
conditions,  and  leaves  him  a  homeless  and  penni- 
less beggar  for  all  eternity.  "For  what  doth  It 
profit  a  man  to  gain  the  whole  world,  and  forfeit 
his  life?" 

It  makes  for  righteousness.— The  third  of  the 
great  gulfs  by  which  Christianity  Is  separated  from 
other  so-called  religions  Is  the  fact  that  It  makes 
for  righteousness.  The  salvation  which  It  offers  Is 
a  salvation  unto  righteousness;  that  Is,  it  proposes 
to  bring  the  whole  man  into  harmony  with  the  be- 
nign purposes  of  God. 

It  makes  men.  One  of  the  best  definitions  of 
a  Christian  ever  given  Is  that  of  the  scoffer  Alex- 
ander Pope,  who  said,  "A  Christian  is  the  highest 
style  of  man."  It  is  not  claimed  that  Christians 
are  what  they  ought  to  be;  but  by  the  grace  of  God 
they  are  what  they  are.  And,  take  them  by  and 
large,  their  enemies  themselves  being  witnesses, 
they  stand  for  the  highest  type  of  character. 

If  that  be  doubted  let  us  institute  a  frank  com- 
parison. Call  a  hundred  of  the  best  exemplars  of 
the  false  religions :  the  best  Moslems,  and  the  best 


28  Religion 

Buddhists — some  of  those  holy  Yogees  who  are 
found  begging  by  the  wayside  In  India  covered 
with  ashes  and  dung,  muttering  the  cabalistic  syl- 
lable "Aum"  and  gazing  intently  at  their  thumbs 
while  losing  themselves  in  the  Ineffable  One — and 
the  best  Brahmans  and  Buddhists — say,  those  holy 
Mahatmas  whom  some  of  our  sweet  American 
women  are  so  fond  of,  not  knowing  that  they  re- 
ligiously regard  a  woman  as  "ten  degrees  lower 
than  a  dog" — and  when  you  have  gotten  your  shin- 
ing representatives  of  paganism  stand  them  up  in 
line;  and  we  will  take  at  random  a  hundred  pro- 
fessing Christians  from  any  church  In  Christendom 
and  abide  the  Issue. 

By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.  In  our  re- 
ligion we  have  a  Creed  macie  up  of  great  spiritual 
truths,  and  a  Code  of  Morals  which  the  world  re- 
ceives as  a  faultless  rule  of  conduct;  and  between 
them  stands  a  great  Exemplar,  the  only  Man  who 
ever  lived  who  could  utter  the  challenge,  "Which 
of  you  convicteth  me  of  sin?"  of  whom  all  ages 
and  generations  have  testified,  "We  find  no  fault  in 
him  at  all."  He  is  our  Exemplar,  and  our  rule  of 
conduct  is  briefly  comprehended  in  the  imitation  of 
Christ.  The  best  man  in  the  world  is  the  man  who 
is  nearest  like  him. 

And  our  religion  makes  nations  also.  I  know 
of  no  more  convincing  argument  for  the  truth  of 
Christianity  than  a  map  of  the  world.  Spread  It 
out  before  you,  and  draw  a  line  around  the  nations 
that  profess  the  religion  of  Christ.     What  have 


The  False  Religions  29 

you  done  ?  You  have  shut  In  truth  and  virtue,  do- 
mestic peace  and  happiness,  civil  and  religious  free- 
dom, schools,  hospitals,  reformatories;  in  a  word, 
civilization.  And  by  the  same  token,  you  have  shut 
out  all  the  false  religions  and  localized  them  in  the 
regions  of  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death.  The 
charmed  circle  which  you  have  thus  circumscribed 
is  called  "Christendom,"  because  it  is  under  the 
dominance  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Is  it  a  mere 
coincidence  that  our  religion  has  come  down  thus 
through  the  ages,  like  Milton's  angel  of  the  morn- 
ing, with  institutions  of  light  and  mercy  springing 
up  on  every  side  ? 

It  is  universal.— The  fourth  of  the  great  differ- 
entiating facts  of  Christianity  is  its  universality. 
All  the  false  religions  are  ethnic,  intended  only  for 
certain  nations  and  adapted  only  to  limited  classes 
of  men. 

"Christ  for  the  world  we  sing; 
The  world  to  Christ  we  bring!" 

This  is  the  deep,  ultimate  meaning  of  the  miracle 
of  Pentecost.  In  an  inner  court  of  Jerusalem  were 
come  together  men  of  all  nations  of  the  known 
world,  "Parthians,  and  Medes  and  Elamites,  and 
the  dwellers  in  Mesopotamia,  in  Judasa  and  Cap- 
padocla,  in  Pontus  and  Asia,  in  Phrygia  and  Pam- 
phylia,  In  Egypt  and  the  parts  of  Libya  about 
Cyrene,  and  sojourners  from  Rome,  both  Jews  and 
proselytes,    Cretans  and  Arabians."     The   world 


30  Religion 

was  there  that  day.  And,  the  gift  of  tongues  hav- 
ing been  bestowed  upon  the  disciples,  the  procla- 
mation went  out:  ^'For  to  you  is  the  promise,  and 
to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even 
as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call  unto 
him!" 

The  gospel,  which  had  been  adjusted  in  the  be- 
ginning to  the  progress  of  coming  ages,  was  also 
adjusted  to  the  needs  of  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  men.  It  is  for  philosophers  and  for  simple  folk 
as  well,  being  within  the  comprehension  of  all. 
This  is  the  innermost  meaning  of  that  acted  parable 
of  Jesus  when  he  took  a  child  upon  his  knee,  say- 
ing, ''Verily  I  say  unto  you,  whosoever  shall  not 
receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he 
shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein." 

The  Church  is  put  under  commission  to  execute 
this  world-wide  plan.  The  great  propaganda  was 
inaugurated  when  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples  on  the 
day  of  his  ascension,  "Go  ye  Into  all  the  world  and 
evangelize,"  even  "to  the  uttermost  parts."  That 
commission  will  not  be  fully  discharged  until  the 
gospel  has  been  carried  to  the  last  man.  We  are 
looking  for  the  coming  of  Christ  to  rule  from  the 
river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Maranatha ! 
"The  Lord  cometh !"  Let  us  not  forget,  however, 
the  significant  sign  of  his  coming,  which  he  him- 
self has  given  us:  "This  gospel  of  the  kingdom 
shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world;  and  then 
shall  the  end  come." 

These  are  my  reasons  for  affirming  that  our  re- 


The  False  Religions  31 

liglon  is  the  only  religion  in  the  world.     It  is  spes 
unica,  "the  only  hope." 

Are  we  to  understand,  then,  that  none  of  the 
heathen  are  saved?  I  do  not  say  so.  It  may  be 
that  some  are  able  to  form  a  dim  conception  of  an 
essential  Christ  from  the  institution  of  sacrifice 
which,  for  some  strange  reason,  is  universally  prev- 
alent. Blessed  is  every  man  who  can  interpret  the 
parable  of  the  blood!  In  one  of  the  poems  of 
Saadi,  the  Persian,  occur  these  strange,  pathetic 
words : 

*'Once,  as  I  staggered  on  the  brink  of  hell, 
Above  the  everlasting  fire-flood's  awful  roar, 
God  threw  his  heart  before  my  feet;  and  stumbling  o'er 
That  obstacle  divine,  I  into  heaven  fell !" 

For  my  part,  I  am  willing  to  leave  this  matter, 
without  speculation,  in  the  hands  of  a  gracious 
God.  I  know  that  he  requires  no  more  of  any  man 
than  that  he  shall  live  up  to  his  light;  but,  when  we 
consider  how  few  there  are  who  meet  that  require- 
ment in  Christian  lands,  how;  remote  seems  the  pos- 
sibility that  many  of  the  heathen  are  saved.  We 
would  surely  not  have  been  so  urgently  and  im- 
peratively enjoined  to  give  them  the  message  of 
salvation  in  Christ  were  salvation  attainable  in  any 
other  way. 

We  have  Christ  and  his  glorious  gospel !  And 
we  are  required  to  give  that  gospel  to  those  who 
have  It  not.  To  all  our  questioning,  not  only  as  to 
the  salvation!  of  some  of  the  heathen,  but  as  to  the 


32  Religion 

relative  value  of  Christianity  and  the  false  re- 
ligions, there  Is  one  final  and  conclusive  answer  in 
the  words  of  Jesus  himself:  "I  am  the  way,  and 
the  truth,  and  the  life;  no  man  cometh  unto  the 
Father  but  by  me." 


THE    OLD-TIME   RELIGION 


Passing  fashions.— The  religion  of  the  ages.— Four 
great  underlying  principles:  A  personal  God,  A 
self-respecting  man,  Sin,  Salvation. — The  old-time 
religion  is  abreast  of  the  past,  abreast  of  the 
present,  abreast  of  the  future. — A  Temple  of 
Progress. — Above  all  others. 

Passing  fashions.— Paul  declares  that  the  "fash- 
Ion  of  this  world  passeth  away."  The  word  here 
rendered  "fashion"  Is  schema,  a  technical  term 
which  was  used  In  connection  with  the  ancient 
drama  to  designate  the  costumes  and  properties. 
"All  the  world's  a  stage  and  all  the  men  and  women 
merely  players."  For  a  while  they  wear  the  garb 
of  the  characters  they  assume;  then  the  curtain 
falls,  the  lights  are  extinguished  and  the  actors  are 
themselves  again.  So  "the  fashion  of  this  world 
passeth  away."  There  Is  nothing  enduring  but  the 
substance  of  things. 

It  Is  easy  to  make  sport  of  old  fashion  plates  like 
those  In  "Godey's  Lady's  Book":  but  be  It  ob- 
served there  are  fashions  In  other  things  than  dress. 
There  Is,  for  example,  a  vogue  In  art,  an  ever- 
varying  vogue  that  comes  and  goes  like  the    qulck- 

33 


34  Religion 

change  artist  on  the  stage;  but  back  of  all  changes 
are  certain  great  principles  of  art  which  are  as  uni- 
versally recognized  and  as  permanent  as  the  estab- 
lished lines  of  beauty.  There  are  fashions  In  archi- 
tecture, as  many  a  "freak  house"  testifies;  but  one 
who  builds,  like  PIso,  In  conformity  with  the  essen- 
tial types  of  architecture,  "builds  forever."  There 
are  fashions  In  politics,  called  "current  Issues," 
which  are  much  affected  by  mere  politicians;  but 
there  Is  a  statesmanship  which  goes  deeper  down 
and  finds  eternal  Issues  in  the  championship  of  hu- 
man rights. 

There  are  fashions  in  religion  also;  fads  and 
fancies  as  grotesque  as  a  milliner's  wildest  dream : 
— New  Thought,  Theosophy,  Babism,  Occultism, 
with  other  Isms  and  osophles  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. These  come  and  go;  but  religion  stays  on. 
For  religion  Is  not  form,  but  substance;  not  an 
affectation  but  a  sublime  reality;  not  a  superficial 
dress  or  canonical  livery,  which  can  be  donned  and 
doffed  at  will,  but  a  system  of  stupendous  truths  as 
vital  as  the  functions  of  an  immortal  soul. 

The  religion  of  the  ages. — The  forms  of  re- 
ligion are  matters  of  little  moment  as  compared 
with  Its  essential  facts;  facts  which  are  not  sub- 
ject to  the  vicissitudes  of  time.  Religion  Is  a  force; 
and  forces  never  change.  Fire  and  water  are  what 
they  always  were.  Steam  is  as  old  as  the  rising 
vapors  of  the  sea.  Electricity  is  not  a  modern  in- 
vention, though  it  ran  wild  till  Franklin  lassoed 


The  Old-Time  Religion  35 

and  others  harnessed  it.  "The  old-time  religion" 
is  essentially  the  religion  of  the  ages.  It  has  four 
great  underlying  principles. 

A  personal  God. — The  first  of  the  great  princi- 
ples is  that  of  a  personal  God  as  distinguished  from 
Idols.  I  do  not  mean  such  vulgar  and  obsolete  idols 
as  Baal  and  Dagon  and  Ashtoreth.  These  are  the 
old  fashions  against  which  the  Chosen  People  were 
warned  long  centuries  ago.  We  have  other  fash- 
ions in  these  days,  to  wit:  gods  made  of  the  gray 
matter  of  the  human  brain.  "Law,"  "Force," 
"the  Soul  of  the  Universe,"  "a  Something  not  our- 
selves that  maketh  for  righteousness" — these  are 
the  latest  vogue  in  idolatry.  They  are  not  "graven 
of  wood  and  stone,  by  art  and  man's  device,"  but 
built  of  fancy,  like  castles  In  the  air.  They  are 
not  only  intangible  but  In  the  last  analysis  unthink- 
able. I  could  as  well  bow  down  before  the  smoke- 
wreath  that  issued  from  the  bottle.  In  the  story  of 
The  Fisherman  and  the  Afrite,  as  worship  such  a 
jack-o-lantern  of  a  god. 

But  religion  offers  us  a  God  revealed  and 
vouched  for  by  his  only-begotten  Son.  His  word 
is,  "When  ye  pray,  say,  'Our  Father.'  "  I  know 
what  that  means.  It  appeals  to  me.  I  can  grasp 
it.  He  is  a  God  who  can  see  and  hear  and  pity 
and  help.  He  can  be  "touched  with  a  feeling  of 
our  infirmities."  This  is  the  God  whom  the  soul 
cries  out  for. 

And  he  is  the  only  God.     "Beside  him  there  is 


36  Religion 

none  other."  The  Muezzin's  call  to  prayer  is  a 
setting  forth  of  the  elemental  proposition  of  re- 
ligion ;  "Allah  II  Allah !  There  Is  no  god  but  God ! 
Lo,  God  Is  great!"  And  the  song  of  David  Is  the 
filial  response  of  all  humanity: 

"As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water  brooks, 
So  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  O  God. 
My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God : 
When  shall  I  come  and  appear  before  God  ?" 

A  self-respecting  man. — The  second  of  the  great 
underlying  truths  of  religion  Is  a  self-respecting 
man.  It  Is  the  fashion  In  some  quarters  to  present 
a  very  different  sort  of  man.  He  Is  the  ultimate 
and  consummate  product  of  the  calm  operation  of 
an  interminable  series  of  natural  laws.  He  Is  the 
bastard  child  of  Force  and  Matter,  with  neither 
of  his  parents  accounted  for.  He  traces  his  gene- 
alogy backward  along  a  series  of  bestial  ancestors 
to  a  primordial  germ.  This  Is  what  Carlyle  called 
"the  religion  of  frog-spawn."  I  confess  I  have  too 
much  family  pride  to  like  this  evolved  man.  How 
does  he  please  the  Daughters  of  the  Mayflower? 
They  are  fond  of  tracing  their  lineage  to  the  Pil- 
grims who  came  over  In  that  memorable  ship: 
but  why  not  put  the  voyage  a  little  farther  back  and 
find  their  birthright  In  a  cargo  of  anthropoid  apes? 
Is  there  an  affront  in  the  suggestion?  If  the  popu- 
lar version  of  Evolution  Is  true  there  is  no  alterna- 
tive.   Facts  are  facts,  and  when  we  get  aboard  of 


The  Old-Time  Religion  37 

a  theory  we  should  be  brave  enough  to  ride  to  the 
end  of  It. 

But,  fortunately,  no  one  pretends  that  evolution 
has  been  demonstrated.  All  that  Darwin  ever  af- 
firmed was  that  it  was  a  likely  hypothesis.  I,  for 
one,  do  not  propose  to  believe  it  until  I  am  obliged 
to.  In  the  meantime  the  Bible  doctrine  of  the 
origin  of  man  is  good  enough  for  me.  He  was 
made  in  God's  likeness,  to  stand  erect  with  his 
face  uplifted  to  the  stars,  to  think  God's  thoughts 
after  him;  an  immortal  man  with  divine  breath  in 
his  nostrils;  a  man  made  to  live  forever  and  in- 
tended to  live  with  God. 

"O  mighty  brother  soul  of  man, 

Where'er  thou  art,  or  low  or  high, 
Thy  skyey  arches  with  exultant  span 
O'erroof  infinity!" 

Sin.— The  third  of  the  vital  facts  of  religion  is 
sin.  To  this  fact  the  response  of  personal  con- 
sciousness is  as  conclusive  as  that  of  the  revealed 
Word  of  God.  We  have  within  us  the  reminiscence 
of  a  divine  birthright,  but  also  the  undeniable  sense 
of  a  most  lamentable  fall.  There  are  those,  how- 
ever, who  affirm  that  if  there  ever  was  a  fall  it 
was  "a  fall  up."  They  deny  the  moral  quality  of 
sin  in  toto.  They  regard  the  sinner  as  an  un- 
fortunate sufferer  to  be  treated  with  hypodermic 
injections  of  compassion.  A  man  who  steals  is  not 
a  thief  but  a  kleptomaniac.  A  drunkard  is  a  dip- 
somaniac, to  be  doctored  with  nervines  and  porous 


38  Religion 

plasters.  A  man-slayer  Is  an  Irresponsible  victim 
of  "brain  storm,"  and  must  be  handled  accordingly. 
This  Is  sentimental  nonsense.  There  Is  such  a 
thing  as  sin;  and  sin  Is  "any  want  of  conformity 
unto  or  transgression  of  the  law  of  God."  Sin 
involves  guilt;  and  unless  some  just  and  rational 
mode  of  deliverance  Is  provided,  It  must  logically 
and  Inevitably  be  followed  by  retribution.  Else 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  justice  in  this  world  of 
ours. 

The  other  word  for  retribution  is  hell.  The 
word  may  be  distasteful  to  ears  polite;  but  there 
should  be  no  mouthing  or  mumbling  of  it.  The 
definition  of  hell  Is  separation  from  God.  Sin  and 
holiness  are  so  antithetical  that  "without  holiness 
no  man  shall  see  God.'*  The  case,  then,  is  a  des- 
perate one.  But  religion  and  common  sense  agree 
that  there  is  no  other  way  of  stating  it. 

Salvation.— The  fourth  of  the  great  proposi- 
tions of  Religion  Is  salvation.  What  shall  a  man 
do  to  be  delivered  from  the  shame  and  bondage 
and  penalty  of  sin?  Here  enters  the  gospel  with 
Its  great  doctrine  of  reconciliation  with  God.  The 
way  has  been  prepared  by  the  atonement  of  Christ; 
and  the  benefits  of  that  atonement  are  conditioned 
only  on  faith  in  him.  There  are  other  plans  or 
fashions  of  salvation;  but  they  all  break  down  at 
the  vital  point.  They  do  not  save.  In  order  to 
save  they  must  erase  the  record  of  the  misllved  past 
and  so  deliver  the  sinner   from  the  handicap  of 


The  Old-Time  Religion 


39 


imforglven  sin.  This,  however,  they  neither  do 
nor  propose  to  do.  They  are  like  Darius  Green's 
flying  machine  which  would  do  anything  but  fly. 
In  all  religions  and  philosophies  of  the  world  there 
never  has  been  a  suggestion  of  any  reasonable 
mode  of  deliverance  from  past  sin.  This  is  the 
distinctive  glory  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  It  an- 
nounces that  justice  has  been  satisfied  by  the  ran- 
som of  the  Cross  and  that  by  an  appropriating 
faith  we  are  justified  and  restored  to  the  favor  of 
God. 

"Now  I  saw  in  my  dream,"  says  Bunyan,  ''that 
the  pilgrims  drew  nigh  to  a  miry  slough  that  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  plain;  and  they  being  heedless 
did  both  fall  suddenly  into  the  bog.  The  name  of 
the  slough  was  Despond.  Here,  therefore,  they 
wallowed  for  a  time,  being  grievously  bedaubed 
with  the  dirt;  and  Christian,  because  of  the  burden 
that  was  on  his  back,  began  to  sink  in  the  mire." 
He  struggled,  but  he  could  not  get  out  because  of 
his  burden.  "But  I  beheld  in  my  dream  that  a 
man  came  to  him,  whose  name  was  Help ;  and  gave 
him  his  hand,  and  drew  him  out,  and  set  him  on 
sound  ground  and  bade  him  go  on  his  way." 

This  man  whose  name  was  Help  is  he  of  whom 
it  was  written,  "Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for 
it  is  he  that  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
The  hand  which  he  extends  to  the  despairing  soul 
is  scarred  with  the  wounds  of  his  vicarious  pain; 
and  the  arm  which  he  makes  bare  for  our  deliver- 
ance is  the  arm  of  omnipotent  love.     "Wherefore 


40  Religion 

also  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them  that 
draw  near  unto  God  through  him,  seeing  he  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them." 

Now  these  are  the  four  great  principles  of  re- 
ligion. They  constitute  the  sum  and  substance  of 
it.  And  the  warrant  for  their  truth  Is  found  in 
the  Word  of  God. 

I  believe  in  this  religion,  "the  old-time  religion." 
It  is  the  only  religion.  There  are  other  quasi- 
rehgions;  but  they  fail  to  accomplish  the  desired 
end. 

Abreast  of  the  past.— I  believe  in  this  old-time 
religion,  because  it  Is  abreast  of  the  past. 

"This  is  the  way  the  prophets  went, 
The  road  that  leads  from  banishment, 
The  King's  highway  of  holiness." 

In  a  matter  of  such  vital  moment  the  trodden 
path  is  the  best  path  for  us.  Our  religion  has  been 
tested  and  approved  by  centuries  of  experience.  It 
is  beyond  all  belief  that  the  innumerable  company 
of  those  who  have  affixed  their  faith  to  the  gospel 
In  past  centuries,  loving  It  In  life  and  leaning  upon 
It  In  death,  have  been  victims  of  a  delusion.  I  am 
certainly  not  willing  to  concede  this  until  stronger 
reasons  are  adduced  to  support  it. 

Abreast  of  the  present.— I  believe  in  this  relig- 
ion, because  it  is  abreast  of  the  present.  There  are 
hundreds  of  millions  of  people  in  the  world  to- 


The  Old-Time  Religion  41 

day  who  find  in  this  gospel  a  satisfying  response 
to  every  possible  need.  It  is  their  strength  in 
weakness,  their  comfort  in  sorrow,  their  light  in 
darkness,  their  friend  in  loneHness,  their  rod  and 
staff  in  the  Valley  of  Death. 

Abreast  of  the  future.— And  I  believe  in  the 
old-time  religion  because  it  is  abreast  of  the  future. 
You  will  find  it  in  the  forefront  of  every  progres- 
sive movement  of  our  time.  It  stands  for  light  and 
humanity  and  civihzation.  It  stands  for  national 
comity  and  the  brotherhood  of  man.  It  is  ani- 
mated by  an  indestructible  spirit  of  hope  and  cour- 
age; so  that,  in  spite  of  foes  without  and  betrayals 
within,  it  moves  right  onward  to  the  Golden  Age. 

I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel;  for  it  has 
proven  itself  to  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion. The  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away;  but 
the  facts  of  the  old-time  religion  abide.  "The  Jews 
ask  for  signs,  and  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom;  but 
we  preach  Christ  crucified;  unto  Jews  a  stumbling- 
block,  and  unto  Gentiles  foolishness;  but  unto  them 
that  are  called,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ,  the 
power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God.'* 

A  Temple  of  Progress. — This  religion  was  ad- 
justed in  the  beginning  to  all  the  possible  mutations 
of  time.  Nothing  has  occurred  which  its  divine 
Author  did  not  anticipate.  Its  essential  facts  have 
been  and  always  will  be  in  line  with  progress. 
When  RicheHeu  was  superintending  the  demolish- 


42  Religion 

ing  of  his  ancestral  chateau,  preparatory  to  the 
building  of  a  more  magnificent  residence,  he  bade 
the  workmen  spare  one  inner  room.  It  was  the 
chamber  where  his  eyes  had  first  opened  to  the 
light,  where  his  mother  had  lulled  him  to  sleep  on 
her  bosom.  He  could  not  see  it  destroyed;  but 
required  his  architects  to  conform  the  plans  of  his 
palace  to  it.  So  rises  the  Temple  of  Progress 
around  the  Holy  of  Holies.  In  that  inner  sanc- 
tuary is  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  within  which 
are  deposited  the  great  principles  of  our  faith. 
The  old  truths  abide!  God  himself  is  "the  same 
yesterday  and  to-day  and  forever,"  and  all  great 
and  enduring  verities  have  their  heart  and  center 
in  him.  We  shall  never,  therefore,  outlive  the  old- 
time  religion;  certainly  not  until  human  nature 
changes  and  God  ceases  to  be  God. 

It  is  related  of  Lord  Chesterfield  that,  while 
visiting  in  Paris  during  the  flood-tide  of  infidelity, 
he  was  entertained  at  the  table  of  a  distinguished 
lady  known  as  a  bitter  foe  of  the  Christian  faith. 
She  said  to  him,  "My  lord,  I  am  informed  that 
your  Parliament  is  composed  of  some  hundreds  of 
profound  and  brilliant  thinkers.  This  being  so, 
will  you  explain  to  me  how  it  is  that,  under  their 
authority,  the  obsolete  religion  of  the  Bible  is  still 
maintained  as  the  religion  of  the  realm?"  He  an- 
swered, "Madam,  it  is  a  mere  temporary  make- 
shift. We  are  casting  about  for  something  better; 
and  when  that  is  discovered,  we  shall  surely  make 
way  for  it." 


The  Old-Time  Religion  43 

Above  all  others. — The  world  has  been  casting 
about,  during  all  the  centuries,  for  something  bet- 
ter, and  has  not  found  It!  Freethinkers  have 
sought  for  It  by  the  light  of  the  midnight  oil;  kings 
and  potentates  have  sought  for  It  by  the  light  of 
Smlthfield  fires ;  but  they  have  not  found  It.  They 
will  go  on  seeking,  In  vain.  Meanwhile  men  and 
women  under  the  burdens  of  life  will  come  to 
Christ  for  succor  and  deliverance.  Sinners  in  de- 
spair will  find  their  only  hope  beneath  his  cross. 
The  song  of  redeeming  grace  will  ring  louder  and 
sweeter  until  it  drowns  the  cry,  "Let  us  break  their 
bonds  asunder,  and  cast  away  their  cords  from  us." 
Then  every  knee  shall  bow  before  Christ  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth  shall  bring  their  glory  and  hon- 
or unto  him. 

No,  there  is  no  reason  for  being  ashamed  of  the 
gospel.  I  have  seen  many  fashions  of  theology 
come  and  go.  I  have  seen  many  dreams  of  philos- 
ophers vanish  into  thin  air.  I  have  heard  many 
elegies  chanted  and  funeral  orations  pronounced 
over  the  old-time  religion;  but  if  there  is  any  sig- 
nificance in  the  logic  of  events  we  can  confidently 
brace  ourselves  against  the  Rock  of  Ages  and  let 
the  caviling  crowd  sweep  by. 

"  Tis  the  old-time  religion, 
And  it's  good  enough  for  me!" 


PART  II 

THE  THREE   GREAT 
DOCTRINES 

THE    DOCTRINE    OF    GOD 

The  One  True  God     .     .     .  Page     47 

The  God  of  Creation  .     .     .  Page     61 

The  God  of  Providence    .     .  Page     77 

THE    DOCTRINE    OF    MAN 

The  First  Man Page     90 

The  Measure  of  a  Man  .     .  Page  102 

Whose  Man  Am  I?     .     .     .  Page  112 

THE    DOCTRINE    OF    THE    GOD-MAN 

His  Birth Paze  122 

His  Character Page  133 

His  Inaugural  Sermon     .     .  Page  143 

His  Teaching Page  154 

His  Social  Ethics     ....  Page  168 

His  Sacerdotal  Prayer     .     .  Page  i^^ 

His  Great  Promise  ....  Page  193 

His  Atoning  Work     .     .     .  Page  204 

His  Royal  Seal Page  212 

His  Influence Page  223 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD 

THE    ONE    TRUE    GOD 


The  fundamental  truth. — Three  false  roads :  Intuition, 
Reason,  the  Senses. — The  scientific  method. — Two 
true  roads:  Revelation,  the  Incarnation. — Teach- 
ing of  Christ  about  God:  As  to  his  being,  his  per- 
sonality, his  providence,  his  moral  attributes. — 
Reconcilation. — The  grapple  with  God. 

The  fundamental  truth.— The  fundamental  truth 
of  rehglon  Is  God.  As  he  was  In  the  beginning, 
so  Is  he  the  beginning  of  all. 

The  man  who  does  not  know  God  has  not  begun 
to  live.  He  may  eat  and  drink,  make  merry,  ac- 
cumulate a  fortune  or  wear  a  crown ;  but  he  has  not 
entered  Into  that  better  life  of  high  hopes  and  noble 
purposes  and  aspirations  which  makes  us  worthy 
of  our  divine  birthright.  For  "this  Is  life  eternal, 
that  they  should  know  thee  the  only  true  God." 

To  put  ourselves  Into  just  relations  with  God  Is 
literally  a  matter  of  life  and  death.  All  the  olo- 
gles  are  worth  mastering,  but  Theology  is  indis- 
pensable.    We  must  know  God. 

But  where  is  he?  "Oh,  that  I  knew  where  I 
might  find  him!  .  .  .  Behold,  I  go  forward,  but 
he  Is  not  there;  and  backward,  but  I  cannot  per- 

47 


48         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

celve  him;  on  the  left  hand,  when  he  doth  work, 
but  I  cannot  behold  him;  he  hideth  himself  on  the 
right  hand,  that  I  cannot  see  him !"  The  horizons 
recede  as  we  approach  them;  and  the  darkness 
thickens  as  we  grope  like  blind  men  feeling  their 
way  along  the  wall. 

Three  false  roads.— There  are  three  roads  which 
are  vainly  trodden  by  multitudes  who  pursue  this 
holy  quest.  Each  of  them  is  marked  *'ThIs  way  to 
God,"  and  each  of  them  Is  a  cul-de-sac  or  blind 
alley  which  leaves  the  soul  still  groping  in  the 
dark. 

Intuition. — The  first  of  these  roads  is  Intuition. 
There  are  no  natural  atheists.  All  are  born  with 
an  indwelling  sense  of  God.  We  do  not  enter  on 
conscious  life  like  the  Inferior  orders;  but 

"Trailing  clouds  of  glory  do  we  come 
From  God  who  is  our  home." 

In  regions  of  darkest  paganism  there  are  traces 
of  two  innate  convictions,  namely;  a  divine  birth 
and  a  sinful  alienation.  Hence  the  universal  spirit 
of  unrest  so  pathetically  expressed  by  Augustine, 
*'We  came  forth  from  God,  and  we  are  restless 
until  we  return  to  him." 

No  doubt  there  have  been  some  who,  with  no 
light  but  that  which  shines  along  the  pathway  of 
intuition,  have  made  his  acquaintance;  but  the  vast 
multitude  have  simply  arrived  at  Idolatry.     They 


The  One  True  God 


49 


have  made  unto  themselves  gods  "after  the  simili- 
tude of  a  man" ;  gods  like  the  Brocken  of  the  Alps, 
projected  on  the  skies.  An  idol  is  a  man-made  god. 
It  may  be  carved  out  of  wood  or  conjured  out  of 
the  gray  matter  of  the  brain :  but  all  gods  are  idols, 
whencesoever  they  come,  except  the  one  true  God. 

Reason. — The  second  pathway  of  the  God-seek- 
ers Is  reason.  Here  we  come  upon  the  philosophers 
and  those  who  travel  with  them.  This  also  leads 
to  disappointment;  as  It  Is  written,  "The  world 
through  its  wisdom  knew  not  God." 

The  golden  age  of  philosophy  In  Greece  fol- 
lowed close  on  the  decay  of  the  Pantheon.  It  was 
when  the  people  had  lost  all  confidence  In  their 
idols  and  the  cry  was  heard,  "Great  Pan  Is  dead!" 
that  the  Groves  and  Gardens  and  Painted  Porches 
arose  on  the  banks  of  the  Ilyssus.  The  thoughtful 
men  who  assumed  the  name  of  philosophoi^  or 
"lovers  of  wisdom,"  were  all  seekers  after  God. 
The  Stoics,  Epicureans,  Cynics  and  Peripatetics  all 
hoped  to  discover  him  by  the  light  of  reason.  How 
vain  their  quest! 

When  Simonides  was  asked  for  a  definition  of 
God,  he  required  some  weeks  for  meditation  and 
then  answered,  "The  more  I  think  of  him,  the  more 
he  is  unknown !"  The  Innumerable  gods  and  altars 
of  Athens  were  finally  laughed  out  of  court;  but 
the  result  was  recorded  on  that  other  altar  which 
succeeded  them,  "To  the  Unknown  God." 

The  stock  In  trade  of  the  Athenian  philosophers 
was  precisely  that  of  the  philosophers  of  our  time. 


50         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

It  consisted  substantially  of  four  arguments,  to 
wit :  the  ontological  argument;  to  the  effect  that  the 
being  of  God  Is  Involved  In  the  Idea  of  God.  This 
Is  good  as  far  as  It  goes,  but  It  falls  vastly  short 
of  demonstration;  and  In  any  case  It  reaches  no 
conclusion  as  to  his  character.  The  cosmological 
argument,  which  reasons  from  effect  to  cause  and 
expresses  Itself  In  the  epigram  "Out  of  nothing 
nothing  comes."  This  Is  equally  Inconclusive,  since 
the  necessary  Somewhat  to  which  It  leads  Is  but  the 
shadow  of  a  god.  The  teleological  argument, 
which  proceeds  from  design  to  a  designer,  carrying 
with  It  a  strong  presumption  as  to  Infinite  wisdom 
but  taking  little  or  no  cognizance  of  the  moral  na- 
ture of  God.  And  the  anthropological  argument, 
which  Infers  the  moral  nature  of  God  from  the 
moral  nature  of  man.  This  goes  farther  than  the 
others;  nevertheless  It  Is  so  far  from  being  proof 
In  the  mathematical  sense  that  one  may  reasonably 
question  whether  any  truth-seeker  was  ever  really 
convinced  by  It. 

These  are  the  arguments  which  have  been  used 
by  philosophers  from  time  Immemorial;  and  little 
has  been  added  In  the  process  of  the  passing  years. 
The  result,  as  a  whole,  is  melancholy  failure.  The 
world  by  its  wisdom,  that  is  by  the  exercise  of  its 
unaided  reason,  has  simply  reached  Agnosticism; 
It  has  not  "found  out  God." 

Not  to  those  who  deem  themselves  wise,  but 
rather  to  the  simple  whose  hearts  are  open  God- 
ward,  comes  the  great  revelation.     It  is  one  thing 


The  One  True  God  51 

to  know  about  God  and  quite  another  to  know  him. 
John  Hay  knew  all  about  President  Lincoln  from 
his  boyhood  up;  while  little  "Tad,"  who  had  no 
such  information,  knew  his  father  through  and 
through.  The  eyes  of  love  see  farther  than  the 
eyes  of  wisdom.  Wherefore  Jesus  said,  "Whoso- 
ever shall  not  receive  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  a 
httle  child,  he  shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein." 

Five  senses. — The  third  of  the  alluring  path- 
ways is  that  of  the  five  senses.  This  is  the  method 
of  natural  science,  which  reaches  its  conclusions  on 
the  evidence  of  the  physical  senses. 

This  rules  out  faith,  which  is  the  sixth  sense 
divinely  given  to  men  for  the  apprehension  of 
spiritual  things.  To  undertake  to  solve  any  of  the 
great  problems  which  have  to  do  with  our  spiritual 
life  by  the  testimony  of  the  finger-tips  is  to  have 
one's  labor  for  one's  pains;  since,  in  the  nature  of 
the  case,  "spiritual  things  are  spiritually  ^  dis- 
cerned." To  insist  on  apprehending  a  spiritual 
fact  by  the  physical  senses  is  as  preposterous  as  it 
would  be  to  insist  on  seeing  with  the  ears  or  hear- 
ing with  the  eyes.  Faith  is  not  credulity,  nor  is 
it  unsubstantial,  nor  is  it  believing  without  evi- 
dence. On  the  contrary,  it  is  both  substantial  and 
evidential :  only  it  is  "the  assurance  of  things  hoped 
for,  a  conviction  of  things  not  seen."  To  refuse 
to  exercise  this  sixth  sense  or  power  of  spiritual  ap- 
prehension is  to  shut  oneself  out  forever  from  the 
possibility  of  apprehending  God  or  any  of  the  great 
intangible  but  real  truths  which  center  in  him. 


'52         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

The  scientific  method. — Yet  we  are  constantly- 
hearing,  in  certain  quarters,  of  the  importance  of 
pursuing  our  theological  studies  "by  the  scientific 
method."  With  what  result?  "We  have  a  world 
of  facts,"  they  say,  "and  from  these  facts,  by  the 
inductive  process,  we  must  arrive  at  our  conclu- 
sions." It  is  like  an  example  in  Algebra:  God  is 
the  unknown  term;  let  this  be  expressed  by  "x" : 
the  problem  then  is  to  resolve  "x"  into  known  terms 
by  the  use  of  a  multitude  of  visible  and  tangible 
facts.  Can  it  be  done?  Go  on  and  pursue  your 
researches  along  the  lines  of  Evolution,  until  back 
of  cosmos  you  come  to  chaos,  and  back  of  chaos 
to  the  nebula,  and  back  of  the  nebula  to  the  pri- 
mordial germ;  and  that  last  infinitesmal  atom  will 
look  up  at  you  with  the  old  question  on  its  lips,  as 
loud  as  ever  and  involving  a  problem  as  deep  as 
when  you  began,  "Whence  came  I?"  What  is 
your  answer?  God?  Call  it  "God"  if  you  please; 
in  fact,  however,  it  is  simply  an  impersonal,  inde- 
finable, unescapable  Something-or-other  which,  for 
lack  of  a  better  term,  is  designated  as  a  "First 
Cause,"  but  which  is  infinitely  far  from  what  is 
meant  by  a  personal  God. 

Two  true  roads. — Well,  then,  shall  the  quest  be 
given  up?  Is  the  universal  thought  of  God  merely 
an  ignis  fatiiiis  leading  the  hopeful  traveler  into 
a  realm  of  impenetrable  mists  and  shadows?  Or 
is  there  still  some  way  of  finding  God? 

Revelation. — Yes,  there  is  a  road  by  which  we 


The  One  True  God  53 

approach  him;  and  it  is  a  highway  cast  up  by  the 
King  himself.  It  is  called  "revelation,"  or  the 
unveiling  of  God. 

There  is  an  antecedent  presumption  in  its  favor; 
to  wit,  that  if  there  is  a  God  anywhere  in  the  uni- 
verse he  would  not  leave  us  to  grope  our  way  hope- 
lessly in  the  dark  toward  him,  but  would  some- 
where, somehow,  make  himself  known  to  us. 

Well,  here  is  a  Book  which  claims  to  be  such  a 
revelation.  It  opens  with  the  words,  "In  the  be- 
ginning God,"  and  proceeds  to  set  forth  the  two 
great  doctrines  of  Creation  and  Providence.  It 
affirms,  on  the  one  hand,  that  everything  in  the 
universe  has  its  origin  in  the  creative  power  of 
God ;  and  on  the  other,  that  everything  is  sustained 
by  the  providence  of  God. 

In  these  two  doctrines  we  have  the  sum  and  sub- 
stance of  Bible  truth.  But  this  is  not  all.  In  be- 
tween the  doctrines  of  Creation  and  Providence 
there  walks,  through  all  the  corridors  of  Holy 
Writ,  a  mysterious  Figure  who  is  the  foregleam  of 
another  revelation  farther  on.  At  the  outset  this 
Figure  appears  in  the  protevangel  as  the  "Seed  of 
the  woman,"  who  is  to  come  in  the  fullness  of  time 
to  "bruise  the  serpent's  head."  And  he  appears 
and  reappears,  now  in  kingly  guise,  again  as  a 
man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief,  and 
again  with  a  name  written  on  his  vesture,  "Im- 
manuel,"  which  being  interpreted  is,  God  with  us. 

This  Book,  claiming  to  be  the  written  Word  of 
God,  makes  us  acquainted  with  his  being,  personal- 


54         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

ity  and  moral  attributes ;  but  It  does  not  exhaust  the 
theme.  It  leads  us  along  a  road,  lighted  by  visions 
and  prophecies,  until  It  opens  Into  another  and 
clearer  road,  to  wit,  "the  Incarnate  Word  of  God.'' 

The  Incarnation. —  And  this  second  road,  the  In- 
carnation, Is  the  way  which  all  truth-seekers  must 
pursue  If  they  would  finally  arrive  at  a  just  and 
saving  knowledge  of  God. 

It  Is  here  that  we  meet  Christ,  bringing  his  mes- 
sage from  the  throne.  He  comes  Into  our  world 
with  the  express  purpose  of  making  God  known 
to  us;  as  It  Is  written,  "No  man  hath  seen  God  at 
any  time;  the  only-begotten  Son,  who  Is  In  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared  him."  He 
Is  called  the  Word,  because  he  Is  the  medium  of 
communication  between  the  Infinite  and  the  finite; 
as  It  Is  written,  "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word, 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was 
God;  .  .  .  and  the  Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt 
among  us:"  that  Is  to  say,  the  Incarnation  Is,  as  It 
were,  the  articulation  of  the  speech  of  God.  In 
the  Scriptures  we  have  a  letter  from  God,  but  In 
the  Incarnation  we  have  the  coming  down  of  God 
to  unveil  himself  before  us. 

The  soul  of  sinful  man  Is  hke  a  child  lost  among 
strangers,  wild-eyed,  lips  trembling,  eyes  searching 
vainly  for  a  familiar  face.  Ah,  here  the  mother 
comes!  and  the  child  Is  soon  sobbing  out  Its  hap- 
piness on  her  breast.  "Cuddle  doon,  my  balrnle!" 
So  It  is  when  the  sinner  finds  Christ,  or  shall  we 
not  rather  say,  when  Christ  finds  him? 


The  One  True  God  ^^ 

Teaching  of  Christ  about  God. — If,  then,  we 
are  ever  to  learn  theology  it  must  be  as  disciples, 
sitting  in  a  docile  attitude  at  the  feet  of  Christ. 
He,  as  the  incarnate  Son,  is  our  authoritative 
teacher.  What,  therefore,  has  he  to  say  about 
God? 

As  to  his  being,  he  has  little  or  nothing  to  say; 
for  the  obvious  reason  that  God's  being  is  the  sub- 
stratum of  his  entire  doctrine,  without  which  it 
would  be  as  insignificant  as  a  painted  ship  upon  a 
painted  ocean.  Moreover,  all  his  teaching  is  pos- 
tulated on  the  written  Word,  of  which  he  said, 
^'Search  the  Scriptures;  because  ye  think  in  them 
ye  have  eternal  life;  and  they  are  they  which 
testify  of  me."  And  the  moment  we  turn  from 
the  Incarnate  to  the  written  Word,  we  come  again 
upon  that  saying,  "In  the  beginning,  God." 

As  to  the  divine  personality,  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  is  indubitably  clear.  "God  is  a  Spirit,"  he 
says,  "and  they  that  worship  him  must  worship 
in  spirit  and  truth."  It  need  scarcely  be  said  that 
a  spirit,  though  invisible  and  impalpable,  is  a  real 
self-conscious  personahty.  The  communion  of 
Jesus  with  this  Spirit  is  that  of  one  person  with 
another.  He  does  not  speak  to  Law,  nor  to  En- 
ergy, nor  to  an  indefinable  "Something  not  our- 
selves that  maketh  for  righteousness";  but  to  One 
with  whom  he  is  on  familiar  terms.  "The  only- 
begotten  Son,  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father^ 
he  hath  declared  him." 


§6         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

As  to  divine  providence  he  speaks  with  no  un- 
certain sound.  The  God  whom  he  unveils  is  in 
and  over  and  under  all.  Out  on  the  hillsides  he 
bids  us  "consider  the  lilies,  how  they  grow,"  and 
assures  us  that  our  Father,  "who  careth  for  them, 
will  much  more  care  for  us."  In  pursuance  of  this 
fact  he  encourages  us  to  pray,  saying,  "Ask,  and 
it  shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find; 
knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you."  Oh, 
great  Heart  of  the  Infinite,  thou  art  quick  to  re- 
spond to  our  every  cry!  The  doctrine  of  prayer, 
as  taught  by  Jesus,  is  simplicity  itself.  We  are  to 
run  to  God  with  our  longings,  as  children  to  their 
parents;  for  "if  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to 
give  good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much 
more  shall  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven  give  good 
things  to  them  that  ask  him." 

As  to  the  moral  attributes  of  God  the  teaching 
of  Jesus  is  not  only  clear  but  most  emphatic;  be- 
cause at  this  point  it  touches  vitally  our  eternal 
welfare.  The  divine  holiness  is  presented  not  so 
much  as  an  attribute  as  the  condition  of  God's  be- 
ing or  the  atmosphere  in  which  he  dwells.  It  is 
the  light  emanating  from  his  throne  of  which 
Christ  is  the  supreme  manifestation,  as  he  said,  "I 
am  the  Light  of  the  world";  and  this  Hght  must 
ever  be  reflected  in  the  life  of  his  disciples,  as  he 
said,  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world;  ...  let  your 
light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see  your 
good  works  and  glorify  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven."     This   holiness   is   not   merely    freedom 


The  One  True  God  '57 

from  moral  contamination;  but  such  a  sensitive 
aversion  to  sin  as  makes  it  impossible  for  God  to 
look  with  complacency  upon  any  creature  who  is 
defiled  by  it.  Hence  the  appeal  to  the  cultivation 
of  a  holy  Hfe;  the  sanctification  "without  which 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

Out  of  this  atmosphere  of  holiness  proceed  two 
attributes  which,  like  opening  arms,  embrace  the 
world.  One  of  them  is  Justice,  or  regard  for  law. 
No  teacher  ever  lived,  not  even  Moses,  who  em- 
phasized as  deeply  as  did  Jesus  the  Integrity  of  the 
moral  law.  He  defended  not  only  the  law  itself 
but  the  penalties  affixed  to  its  violation.  The  Deca- 
logue is  not  so  severe  an  arraignment  of  sin  as  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  which  rings  with  the  in- 
violability of  law. 

The  other  of  the  outstretched  arms  Is  Love. 
The  fullness  of  divine  love  is  set  forth  In  the  words 
of  Jesus,  "After  this  manner  therefore  pray  ye, 
Our  Father."  It  was  wisely  observed  by  Madame 
de  Stael  that  If  Jesus  had  never  done  anything  in 
the  world  except  to  teach  us  to  say  "Our  Father" 
he  would  have  conferred  an  Inestimable  boon  upon 
the  children  of  men.  God's  love  Is  manifest  In  the 
unceasing  gifts  of  his  providence;  but  its  crown- 
ing token  Is  the  grace  of  salvation:  "God  so  loved 
the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not  perish  but 
have  eternal  life." 

Beconciliation.— And  the  reconciliation  between 
Love  and  Justice  Is  found  at  the   Cross.     Here 


58         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

"mercy  and  truth  are  met  together,  righteousness 
and  peace  have  kissed  each  other."  As  law  is  sa- 
cred and  inviolable,  its  penalty  must  be  inflicted; 
it  must  be  inflicted  either  upon  the  malefactor  or 
upon  some  competent  substitute  who  shall  volun- 
teer to  suffer  for  him.  It  is  the  only-begotten  Son 
who  volunteers,  saying,  "Here  am  I,  send  me!" 
The  justice  of  God  is  shown  In  the  suffering  In- 
flicted upon  his  only-begotten  Son;  and  his  love 
Is  correspondingly  shown  in  the  proffer  of  all  the 
benefits  of  that  vicarious  suffering  to  every  one  on 
the  sole  condition  of  faith. 

It  pleased  God  to  vindicate  his  supreme  majesty 
before  his  ancient  people  in  the  controversy  on 
Carmel.  All  day  the  pagan  priests  assembled  at 
their  altar  cried,  "O  Baal,  hear  us!"  but  there 
was  no  voice,  nor  answer,  nor  any  that  regarded. 
At  evening  the  lone  prophet  of  Jehovah  stood  be- 
side his  altar  and  calmly  made  his  prayer  "O  Je- 
hovah ...  let  it  be  known  this  day  that  thou  art 
God!"  Was  there  any  that  regarded?  Lo,  yon- 
der In  the  twilight  sky  a  falling  fleece  of  fire!  In 
awe-struck  silence  the  people  saw  It  descending  un- 
til It  touched  the  sacrifice  and  consumed  it.  The 
logic  of  the  argument  was  irresistible.  They  cried 
with  one  accord,  "Jehovah,  he  is  God!" 

The  antitype  and  parallel  of  that  great  contro- 
versy is  at  Calvary,  where  Christ,  at  once  the  min- 
istering priest  and  the  sacrifice  upon  the  altar,  made 
his  last  prayer  with  hands  outstretched  upon  the 
cross,  and  the  descending  fire  consumed  him  as  a 


The  One  True  God  59 

whole  burnt-offering  for  the  world's  sin.  The 
logic,  here  also,  Is  unanswerable.  In  all  the  world 
there  Is  no  other  gospel  which  adequately  sets  forth 
the  divine  love.  By  the  power  of  truth,  by  the 
triumph  of  righteousness,  by  the  logic  of  events, 
by  the  philosophy  of  history,  by  the  blood  of  the 
atonement,  let  the  world  answer,  "Our  God  Is  the 
God  of  Salvation;  and  there  Is  none  other  beside 
him!'* 

The  failure  of  other  religions  and  philosophies 
has  been  grotesquely  pathetic.  The  Irony  of 
Elijah  on  Carmel  Is  merely  an  echo  of  the  divine 
burst  of  laughter  out  of  heaven  In  response  to  those 
who  cry,  "Let  us  break  their  bonds  asunder  and 
cast  away  their  cords  from  us!"  "He  that  sitteth 
in  the  heavens  shall  laugh!"  The  Pantheons 
crumble  and  the  priests  die;  one  altar  remains,  to 
wit:  the  cross  on  Calvary.  It  Is  the  sole  altar  and 
supreme  argument  of  the  true  God. 

The  grapple  with  God.— But  every  man  must 
for  himself  make  answer  to  the  argument.  Each 
for  himself  must  fight  his  way  Into  the  truth.  It 
Is  like  the  grapple  which  Jacob  had  with  an  unseen 
antagonist  at  the  brookside.  As  the  night  wore  on 
he  came  to  understand  that  he  was  at  close  quar- 
ters with  God.  He  wrestled  with  the  Theophany 
hand  to  hand  and  thigh  to  thigh.  He  knew  that 
at  last  Omnipotence  had  laid  hold  upon  him.  Then 
came  a  sudden  wrench  and  Jacob  fell,  disabled. 
God  had  thrown  him !     He  sank  a  helpless  man, 


6o         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

but  clinging  still,  he  cried,  "I  will  not  let  thee  go 
except  thou  bless  me!" 

Thereupon  the  blessing  was  given,  a  blessing 
which  God  had  waited  through  the  weary  years  to 
bestow  upon  him.  "Thy  name  shall  be  called  no 
more  Jacob,"  the  Supplanter,  "but  Israel;  for 
thou  hast  striven  with  God.  .  .  .  and  hast  pre- 
vailed." Then  and  there  he  received  the  guerdon 
of  knighthood  and  entered  into  the  higher  life. 
At  the  close  of  that  conflict  the  light  of  morn- 
ing was  glowing  on  the  hills  of  Edom:  how  sig- 
nificant the  words,  "And  the  sun  rose  upon  him!" 
The  new  life  had  begun;  the  long  quest  was  over; 
Jacob  had  found  God.  And  he  went  his  way 
limping  on  his  shrunken  thigh,  to  bear  through  all 
the  after  years  the  token  of  that  struggle  until  he 
came  to  heaven's  gate,  at  peace  with  God. 

It  is  thus  that  every  man  finds  God;  in  a  close 
grapple  that  ends  in  self-surrender,  an  utter  yield- 
ing to  his  almighty  grace. 

So  life  begins  with  knowing  God.  It  begins  when 
a  man,  oppressed  by  doubt  and  uncertainty,  hears 
his  voice  saying,  "Reach  hither  thy  hand  and  put 
it  into  my  side!"  It  ends  when  standing  under 
the  Cross  he  realizes,  as  Luther  did,  "He  died  for 
me,  for  me !"  Then  the  day  breaks  and  the  shad- 
ows flee  away.  Love  conquers  doubt;  and  the 
soul,  beholding  the  unveiling  of  the  infinite  in  the 
passion  of  Christ,  cries  out  "My  Lord  and  my 

Godr 


THE    GOD    OF   CREATION 


In  the  beginning  God  created. — Other  cosmogonies. — 
Science  in  the  Genesis  record. — A  beginning. — God. 
—Created.— When?— Length  of  creative  epochs.— 
Order  of  creative  epochs. — Authorship  of  the  ac- 
count.— The  panorama  of  creation. — The  practical 
outcome. 

In  the  beginning  God  created.— So  begins  the 
divine  account  of  the  origin  of  things. 

In  some  quarters  this  narrative  is  called  'The 
Creation  xMyth,"  or  "The  Creation  Fable."  It 
is  not  the  scientists,  however,  but  the  neophytes 
and  dilettanti  of  science,  who  speak  on  this  wise. 
Your  true  scientists — such  as  Newton,  Faraday, 
Dana,  Agassiz,  Henry,  Gray,  Dawson,  Kelvin  and 
countless  others — have  been  accustomed  to  refer 
to  the  cosmogony  of  Genesis  in  reverent  terms. 
Their  concept  of  wisdom  has  not  been  so  vain- 
glorious as  to  prevent  their  sitting  at  the  feet  of 
God. 

It  is  frequently  affirmed  that  "the  Bible  is  not 
a  scientific  book."  This  is  granted,  but  it  is  a  true 
book.  And  whenever  it  affirms  anything  with  re- 
spect to  science  its  statements  are  scientifically  cor- 
rect, and  can  be  relied  on. 

61 


62         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Other  cosmogonies. — The  majesty  of  the  Gen- 
esis story  Is  instantly  apparent,  when  contrasted 
with  corresponding  records;  for  of  making  many 
cosmogonies  there  is  no  end.  If  there  is  any  ap- 
preciable value  in  mere  human  wisdom,  the  Greeks 
should  have  been  able  to  speak  advisedly  in  these 
premises.  The  starting-point  in  their  cosmogony, 
as  elucidated  by  Thales,  was  water.  In  process  of 
time  this  water  was  wrought  upon  by  an  all-pre- 
vailing energy,  as  the  body  is  animated  by  the  soul. 
Out  of  this  operation  proceeded  in  some  inscrutable 
manner  the  present  order  of  things.  But  here  is 
no  solution  of  the  mystery.  The  Gordian  knot  is 
rudely  cut;  and  we  are  still  left  to  ask.  Whence  the 
final  element  and  the  pervading  force? 

Let  us  turn  to  the  Egyptians  for  a  contribution 
to  our  scientific  lore.  The  starting-point  in  their 
cosmogony  was  a  promiscuous  pulp,  from  which 
the  elements  separated  of  their  own  accord,  in  some 
unexplained  way.  The  mass  took  fire;  and  the 
upper  portion  warmed  the  lower  into  life.  From 
beneath  crept  forth  the  reptiles,  and  from  the  ris- 
ing smoke  the  winged  creatures  of  the  air.  The 
ooze  of  the  river-bed,  like  the  evolutionists'  bathy- 
biiis,  furnished  the  raw  material  for  man. 

Or  perhaps  the  scientifically  inclined  would  pre- 
fer the  cosmogony  of  the  Hindus.  They  began 
with  darkness.  In  the  darkness  was  a  golden  egg. 
The  egg  broke  and  Brahma  issued  forth.  He, 
turning,  made  of  half  the  shell  the  heavens  and  of 
the  other  half  the  earth.    His  body  then  fell  asun- 


The  God  of  Creation  63 

der;  and  from  It  proceeded  the  various  castes  of 
men. 

Or  possibly  the  Babylonians  may  help  us.  They 
too  started  with  darkness.  In  the  darkness  was 
born  a  giantess  who  contributed  half  of  her  body 
to  make  the  heavens  and  the  other  half  to  make 
the  earth;  while  her  blood,  mixing  with  the  dust, 
produced  the  human  race. 

Or  suppose  we  turn  to  the  mythology  of  the 
Norsemen.  The  starting-point  was  a  vast  chasm, 
wherein  a  conflict  went  on  between  fire  and  Ice. 
Out  of  that  conflict  was  born  Ymyr,  the  giant.  His 
flesh  produced  the  earth,  his  bones  the  mountains, 
his  hair  the  forests,  his  blood  the  seas  and  rivers, 
his  skull  the  dome  of  heaven;  and  from  his  eye- 
brows was  made  a  wall  around  the  earth  to  pre- 
vent Its  Inhabitants  from  falling  off. 

Such  are  the  cosmogonies  of  the  so-called  sacred 
books  of  the  false  religions.  How  Instantly  do  all 
thoughtful  men,  not  to  say  scientists,  take  Issue 
with  their  puerilities !  Yet  these  are  the  results  of 
the  best  efforts  of  human  wisdom  to  produce  a  ra- 
tional theory  of  origins.  They  leave  unanswered 
the  great  question :  Whence  came  I,  and  whence 
came  the  present  order  of  things? 

Science  in  the  Genesis  record. — We  turn  from 
all  such  speculations  to  science;  and  It  Is  science 
that  speaks  In  the  Genesis  record.  Here  are  three 
stupendous  facts,  set  forth  In  the  three  opening 
words  of  Scripture:  BWeshith  Elohim  bara;  that 


64         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

is,  **In  the  beginning  God  created."  And  the  three 
facts  thus  enunciated  are  distinctly  scientific  facts. 
For  science  means  "to  know";  and  in  the  three 
words  referred  to  we  have  substantially  all  that  is 
known,  all  that  has  been  thus  far  discovered  and 
all  that  is  likely  ever  to  be  found  out,  respecting 
the  origin  of  things. 

A  beginning. — In  the  first  of  these  words  we  are 
advised  that  there  was  a  beginning. 

Let  it  be  observed  that  there  is  no  beginning  in 
any  other  cosmogony.  There  is  always  something 
beyond;  and  that  something  is  inscrutable.  To 
undertake  to  solve  the  problem  as  Plato  did,  by 
hypothecating  the  eternity  of  matter,  is  simply  an 
ignominious  surrender;  it  is  a  begging  of  the  ques- 
tion by  the  introduction  of  a  guess.  Science  makes 
no  guesses.  If  in  tracing  things  back  to  their  be- 
ginning it  comes  up  against  an  insuperable  obstacle 
it  stops  there,  saying,  "I  know  not."  But  the 
Genesis  record  does  not  stop  there.  It  carries  us 
back  beyond  man,  organic  life,  cosmos,  chaos,  mat- 
ter, nebula,  into  the  primal  silence  and  solitude. 
And  it  does  not  leave  us  there,  in  a  blank  domain 
of  nothingness.  It  leaves  us  in  the  doorway  of  the 
King's  audience  chamber,  saying,  "Before  the 
mountains  were  brought  forth  or  ever  thou  hadst 
formed  the  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting,  thou  art  God!" 

Qod. — The  second  of  the  great  words  of  Gen- 
esis brings  us  face  to  face  with  God,  "Source  of 
all  being,  throned  afar."  And  God,  like  "the  be- 
ginning," is  distinctly  a  scientific  fact. 


The  God  of  Creation  6^ 

In  dealing  with  the  creation  facts  we  have 
choice  of  three  theories.  The  first  of  these  is  the 
theory  of  Law. 

But  Law  yields  no  answer  to  the  problem;  for 
Law  itself  is  an  effect  and  demands  a  cause.  There 
must  be  a  Lawgiver  behind  it.  In  one  of  the 
classic  poems  we  have  an  account  of  a  philosopher 
who,  being  shipwrecked  on  the  island  of  Rhodes, 
as  he  walked  along  the  beach  found  a  geometrical 
figure  traced  in  the  sand.  "Here,"  said  he,  "are 
vestigia  hominmn/*  the  traces  of  men.  He  did 
not  need  to  be  told  that  some  one  had  been  there 
before  him,  since  the  geometrical  figure  forced  the 
conclusion  that  somebody  had  made  it. 

The  second  theory  is  that  of  Chance.  Can  the 
present  order  of  things  be  accounted  for  as  "a  for- 
tuitous concourse  of  atoms"?  Let  us  see.  There 
are  twenty-four  letters  in  the  words  "In  the  begin- 
ning God  created";  suppose  we  shake  them  to- 
gether and  cast  them  out.  Now  calculate  by  the 
law  of  permutations  and  combinations  how  many 
such  castings  it  would  take  to  produce  these  same 
words  again.  Mathematically  the  chances  are  bil- 
lions on  billions  against  it.  What  likelihood  is 
there,  then,  that  the  infinitude  of  atoms  which  con- 
stitutes our  earth,  cast  forth  to  the  mercy  of  fortu- 
itous circumstance,  would  produce  a  world  of  vales 
and  forests  and  mountains,  of  birds  and  beasts  and 
men?    The  suggestion  is  grotesquely  preposterous. 

The  last  theory,  the  only  one  which  is  left  by 
"the  rule  of  residues,"  is  God.  If  this  does  not 
solve  the  problem,  and  solve  it  scientifically,  I  do 


66         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

not  know  where  a  thoughtful  man  can  look  for  any 
solution  of  It. 

In  Westminster  Abbey  there  Is  a  monument  to 
Sir  Isaac  Newton  on  which  he  Is  represented  as 
weighing  the  world  In  a  steelyard,  with  a  look  of 
deep  perplexity  on  his  face,  as  if  he  were  asking, 
"Whence  came  it?"  In  the  Poets'  Corner  of  the 
same  Abbey  there  is  a  monument  to  Joseph  Addi- 
son; and  the  best  answer  that  ever  has  been  given 
to  the  question  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Is  in  Addison's 
hymn: 

The  spacious  firmament  on  high, 

With  all  the  blue  ethereal  sky, 

And  spangled  heavens,  a  shining  frame, 

Their  great  Original  proclaim. 

The  unwearied  sun,  from  day  to  day, 
Does  his  Creator's  power  display, 
And  publishes  to  every  land 
The  work  of  an  Almighty  hand. 

Soon  as  the  evening  shades  prevail, 
The  moon  takes  up  the  wondrous  tale, 
And  nightly  to  the  listening  earth 
Repeats  the  story  of  her  birth ; 

While  all  the  stars  that  round  her  burn. 
And  all  the  planets  in  their  turn, 
Confirm  the  tidings,  as  they  roll, 
And  spread  the  truth  from  pole  to  pole. 

What  though  In  solemn  silence  all 
Move  round  the  dark  terrestrial  ball; 
What  though  no  real  voice  nor  sound 
Amid  their  radiant  orbs  be  found; 


The  God  of  Creation  67 

In  reason's  ear  they  all  rejoice, 
And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice, 
Forever  singing,  as  they  shine, 
"The  Hand  that  made  us  is  Divine !" 

Created. — The  third  of  the  scientific  words  of 
Scripture  Is  Bara,  that  Is,  "created."  The  word 
is  defined  as  the  making  of  something  out  of  noth- 
ing. 

Do  you  say  that  Is  Impossible?  Do  you  quote 
the  venerable  maxim,  "Out  of  nothing,  nothing 
comes" ?  But  how  do  we  know  that?  All  that  we 
mean  Is  that  we  never  saw  something  come  out  of 
nothing.  But  In  the  nature  of  the  case  there  can 
be  no  analogy  for  it.  No  man  ever  made  any- 
thing; all  we  can  do  is  to  transform  one  thing  Into 
something  else.  We  live  on  a  ball  of  matter  eigJht 
thousand  miles  In  diameter;  and  no  scientist  has 
ever  yet  been  able  to  produce  a  single  grain  of  sand. 
Air  and  earth  and  water  are  teaming  with  life,  yet 
no  scientist  has  ever  been  able  to  originate  a  blo- 
plasmlc  cell  or  reanimate  a  dead  fly.  It  Is  not 
strange,  therefore,  that  the  creative  act  Is  called  in 
question.  But  let  us  not  undertake  to  measure  God 
by  the  analogies  of  human  life.  We  cannot  take 
his  stature  with  a  yardstick  or  his  girth  with  a  tape- 
measure.  Creation  is  his  prerogative.  All  things 
are  possible  with  God  and  "nothing  is  too  hard 
for  him." 

We  are  like  schoolboys  in  the  playgrounds  at 
recess,  talking  in  great  swelling  words  about  the 
"infinite,"  "unconditioned"  and  "indeterminable." 


68         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Suddenly  the  Master  appears  upon  the  scene. 
What  a  scampering  then!  So,  when  we  in  our 
boasted  wisdom  have  uttered  our  latest  word,  God 
comes,  saying,  "Ye  do  err,  not  knowing  my 
power!" 

But,  assuming  the  truth  contained  in  the  three 
scientific  words  of  Scripture,  there  are  certain  ques- 
tions which  still  remain  to  be  answered. 

When?— One  of  these  is,  "When  did  the  crea- 
tion occur?    How  long  ago?" 

In  the  margin  of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  you 
will  find  the  date  4004  B.  C.  This  is  according  to 
Usher's  chronology,  and  it  is  no  part  of  the  inspired 
text.  All  that  we  can  gather  from  the  record  itself 
is  that  the  creation  occurred  "in  the  beginning"; 
a  beginning  which  was  indefinitely  long  ago.  And 
that  is  precisely  what  science  affirms  about  it. 

Length  of  creative  epochs.— The  next  question 
is,  "How  long  were  the  successive  periods  of  crea- 
tion?" 

It  is  written :  "In  six  days  Jehovah  made  heaven 
and  earth."  But  objectors  say:  "All  science  goes 
to  show  that  these  periods  were  of  indeterminable 
length."  This  is  true.  The  chalk  cliffs,  for  ex- 
ample, are  a  product  of  animal  life,  being  com- 
posed of  the  shells  of  marine  animalculae.  It  is 
calculated  that  it  would  require  a  century  to  pro- 
duce a  layer  of  a  single  foot;  yet  there  are  cliffs  on 
the  coast  of  England  a  thousand  feet  deep;  and 


The  God  of  Creation  69 

beneath  the  chalk  are  formations  of  granite  whose 
construction  may  have  required  some  mllHons  of 
years.  How  then  could  the  world  have  been 
framed  In  six  solar  days? 

But  who  said  that  the  world  was  "created  In  six 
solar  days"?  Certainly  not  the  Scriptures.  Such 
an  assertion  Is  in  direct  contravention  of  their  state- 
ment. The  word  translated  "day"  Is  yom;  which 
is  used  to  Indicate  all  sorts  of  definite  and  Indefinite 
periods.  The  proof  of  that  statement  Is  at  hand. 
In  Genesis  2  :  4,  the  word  yovi  Is  made  to  cover  the 
entire  creative  week.  In  Leviticus  25  :  29,  It  refers 
to  the  year  of  jubilee.  In  Jeremiah  46:  21,  It  In- 
cludes one  of  the  long  campaigns  of  Pharaoh- 
Necho.  In  Psalm  2  :  7,  It  covers  all  eternity  or  the 
lifetime  of  God.  When  It  Is  affirmed  that  the 
Scriptures  limit  the  creation  to  six  solar  days,  the 
statement  is  therefore  without  ground  or  warrant. 
The  record  at  this  point  is  absolutely  scientific. 
God  works  through  the  immeasurable  aeons.  He 
makes  no  haste.    The  eternal  years  are  his. 

Order  of  creative  epochs. — The  next  question 
has  to  do  with  the  order  of  the  creative  epochs. 

Here  again  we  note  a  marvelous  coincidence. 
The  fossils  and  footprints  discovered  In  the  layers 
of  the  primeval  rocks  are  precisely  in  the  Scriptural 
order.  It  would  not  be  fair  to  affirm  that  no  sci- 
entists hold  a  different  view;  but  it  Is  quite  within 
bounds  to  say  that  the  consensus  of  science  is  in 
favor  of  the   following  order:    (i)    chaos,  with 


70         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

cosmic  light;  (2)  the  dividing  of  the  firmaments; 
(3)  the  appearing  of  vegetable  life  In  the  palaeo- 
zoic or  carboniferous  age;  (4)  the  emergence  of 
the  heavenly  bodies;  (5)  the  appearance  of  the 
lower  orders  of  life  In  the  mesozolc  age;  (6)  the 
higher  orders  or  mammalia,  In  the  kalnozolc  age, 
with  man  as  masterpiece  and  sovereign  of  all. 

Authorship  of  the  account. — A  further  question, 
and  a  most  Important  one,  Is  "Where  did  the  au- 
thor of  the  Genesis  record  get  his  Information?" 

To  say  that  the  story  Is  a  patchwork  of  con- 
temporary legends  and  traditions  Is  only  to  push 
the  difficulty  further  back.  How  could  any  man 
speak  advisedly  as  to  the  order  of  the  creation?  If 
God  did  create  the  world,  he  was  alone  when  he 
did  It.  There  was  no  man  there  to  see.  Here  Is 
his  challenge: 

"Where  wast  thou  when  I  laid  the  foundations  of  the 

earth  ? 
Declare  if  thou  hast  understanding. 

Who  determined  the  measures  thereof,  if  thou  knowest? 
Or  who  stretched  the  line  upon  it? 
Whereupon  were  the  foundations  thereof  fastened? 
Or  who  laid  the  cornerstone  thereof, 
When  the  morning  stars  sang  together  and  all  the  sons  of 

God  shouted  for  joy?" 

Is  It  not  evident,  therefore,  that  the  true  cosmog- 
ony, wherever  found,  must  be  by  direct  revelation 
from  God?    The  word  "revelation"  means  an  un- 


The  God  of  Creation  71 

veiling.  If  any  man  Is  qualified  to  write  the  story 
of  creation  It  must  be  because  It  Is  divinely  unveiled 
before  him. 

The  panorama  of  creation. — Is  It  not  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  method  was  that  by  which  the 
prophets  usually  received  their  communications 
from  God?  The  man  divinely  chosen  to  record 
the  story  of  creation  was  wrapped  In  an  ecstatic 
trance,  In  which  he  saw  a  moving  panorama  of 
events,  broken  by  Intervals  of  darkness,  which 
would  naturally  be  characterized  as  night.  Let 
us  put  ourselves  In  his  place  and  see  what  passed 
before  him. 

The  first  vision  Is  of  chaos;  a  molten  ball  en- 
veloped In  Igneous  vapors.  There  Is  a  conflict  be- 
tween the  Internal  fires  and  cooHng  winds  from  the 
Illimitable  fields  of  space.  The  surface  of  the  earth 
is  congealed  again  and  again,  only  to  be  ruptured 
by  inward  heat  and  thrown  into  vast  ridges  of 
granite,  "like  the  Ice-floes  of  a  polar  sea."  The 
rising  vapors  are  condensed  in  torrents  of  falling 
rain,  which  are  thrown  back  again  like  water  from 
a  white-hot  disk.  It  is  a  hopeless  battle.  The 
fires  are  worsted  and  the  earth  gradually  cools.  A 
film  forms  over  the  molten  sea ;  the  primeval  forms 
of  the  continents  appear.  The  rains  find  a  lodg- 
ment, and  rivers  race  to  the  lower  levels  to  form 
the  primal  seas.  All  Is  darkness  and  turmoil;  re- 
verberating artillery  of  the  heavens,  with  fierce 
flashes  of  electric  fire;  black  night  and  confusion 
worse  confounded.     Then  light  Is  born;  not  in  an 


72         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Instant,  indeed,  for  this  is  cosmic  light.^  A  glim- 
mer here  and  there  reveals  the  unspeakable  dis- 
order of  the  frightful  gloom.  The  scene  now 
shifts.  The  curtain  falls;  there  is  an  interval  of 
darkness.  The  evening  and  the  morning  were  the 
first  day. 

In  the  second  scene  the  clouds  are  lifted.  The 
upper  and  lower  firmaments  are  parted  asunder; 
the  outlines  of  seas  and  continents  are  visible;  the 
great  canopy  is  lifted  overhead  and  between  it  and 
the  earth  beneath  are  sweeping  tempests  of  corro- 
sive gases.  Of  this  period  alone  it  is  not  written, 
"And  the  Lord  said,  It  is  very  good."  As  yet  the 
atmosphere  can  sustain  no  form  of  organic  life. 
The  world  has  thus  far  been  only  getting  ready 
for  It.  The  curtain  falls.  The  evening  and  the 
morning  were  the  second  day. 

The  third  vision  Is  of  a  vast,  steaming  green- 
house. Out  of  the  sluggish  waters  springs  a  lux- 
uriant vegetation.  This  is  the  age  of  bulbous 
plants,  of  gigantic  sigillaria  and  lycopodla,  of  ferns 
springing  aloft,  like  towering  pines,  growing  rap- 
Idly  and  as  rapidly  decaying  and  falling  upon  one 
another,  until  the  steaming  earth  seems  like  a  vast 
tamarack  swamp.  This  is  the  carboniferous  age. 
The  forces  which  are  to  be  used  in  the  industries 
of  the  future  are  now  being  generated  and  stored 
away.  The  eyes  of  the  dreamer  close.  The  even- 
ing and  the  morning  were  the  third  day. 

^  It  used  to  be  said  that  light  was  impossible  before  the  sun,  but 
we  know  now  that  the  very  reverse  is  true.  You  cannot  rub  two 
sticks  together  without  producing  light. 


The  God  of  Creation  73 

In  the  fourth  vision  are  seen  glimmering  points 
of  light  in  the  upper  firmament.  Thus  far  there 
has  only  been  cosmic  light.  The  sun  and  moon 
and  stars  now  appear  in  clear  outline.  Here  is  the 
beginning  of  divisions  of  time.  The  pendulum 
swings.  There  are  preparations  for  the  succession 
of  summer  and  winter,  seedtime  and  harvest.  The 
world  is  getting  ready  for  history.  Again  the  scene 
shifts.  The  evening  and  morning  were  the  fourth 
day. 

The  fifth  vision  brings  In  the  lower  orders  of 
animal  life.  The  egg-bearers  appear,  reptiles  and 
fishes  and  birds.  A  visit  to  the  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History  will  throw  hght  on  this  period. 
Here  are  lizards  fifty  feet  long  crawling  in  the 
slime.  Here  are  creatures  with  eye-sockets  a  foot 
in  diameter.  Here  are  birds  that  leave  mighty 
footprints  on  the  soft  formative  rocks.  The  cur- 
tain falls  again.  The  evening  and  the  morning 
were  the  fifth  day. 

The  sixth  vision  shows  the  mammals  or  higher 
forms  of  life.  The  earth  Is  teeming  with  them; 
beasts  of  the  field  and  forest.  And  on  this  canvas 
last  of  all,  supreme  and  pre-eminent,  appears  man, 
having  dominion  over  all  living  things,  erect  and 
sovereign,  with  his  face  uplifted  toward  heaven, 
"able  to  think  God's  thoughts  after  him."  So  ends 
the  Panorama  of  Creation.  The  evening  and  the 
morning  were  the  sixth  day. 

And  then  God  entered  Into  his  rest;  as  It  is 
written,  "In  six  days  Jehovah  made  heaven  and 


74         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

earth  .  .  .  and  rested  the  seventh  day;  wherefore 
Jehovah  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and  hallowed 
it.'^ 

How  Imposing  Is  this  record  as  compared  with 
other  cosmogonies.  What  simplicity !  What  fine 
reasonableness !  What  a  scientific  tone  of  absolute 
certainty !  And  If  this  be  not  scientific,  how  shall 
we  account  for  the  fact  that  Moses  or  somebody 
else  was  able  thus  to  anticipate  the  approved  re- 
sults of  modern  science?  And  this  so  many  thou- 
sands of  years  ago ! 

It  Is  pleasant  In  this  connection  to  recall  the  tes- 
timony given  by  one  of  the  most  eminent  scientists 
of  our,  time,  Professor  Dana  of  Yale  University. 
In  his  farewell  Interview  with  the  Class  of  '67,  of 
which  I  was  a  member,  he  said:  "Young  men,  let 
me  say  In  parting  with  you,  after  our  pleasant  as- 
sociation In  scientific  study  In  this  classroom,  that 
In  my  judgment,  when  you  are  puzzled  and  bewil- 
dered amid  the  conflicting  views  of  men  who  claim 
to  present  scientific  truth  in  the  form  of  hypotheses, 
you  can  never  go  far  astray  If  you  will  receive  as 
your  scientific  ultimate  the  teaching  of  the  Word 
of  God." 

The  practical  outcome. — But  what  Is  the  practi- 
cal bearing  of  all  that  has  been  said?  Much  every 
way.  If  the  story  of  creation  is  true  It  furnishes 
an  antecedent  probability  that  the  Bible  Is  true  and 
trustworthy  in  every  respect.  On  the  other  hand, 
If  the  veracity  of  the  author  of  Genesis  is  success- 


The  God  of  Creation  75 

fully  impugned,  what  reason  have  we  for  assuming 
the  truth  or  trustworthiness  of  other  portions  of 
Scripture  wherein  we  are  advised  with  respect  to 
spiritual  things? 

The  first  chapter  of  Genesis  and  the  first  chapter 
of  John  go  hand  in  hand.  "In  the  beginning  was 
the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God  and  the 
Word  was  God.  .  .  .  All  things  were  made 
through  him,  and  without  him  was  not  anything 
made  that  hath  been  made.  .  .  .  And  the  Word 
became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us." 

I  see  two  thrones:  one  is  on  the  Circle  of  the 
Universe,  whereon  God  sits,  high  and  lifted  up, 
with  veiled  face,  calling  into  being  things  that  are 
out  of  those  that  were  not.  The  other  is  on  Cal- 
vary; and  here  His  face  is  unveiled.  The  God  of 
creation  is  the  God  of  salvation.  "The  God  that 
rolls  the  world  along  speaks  all  the  promises." 
The  problem  of  origins  is  the  problem  of  destiny. 

'*  'Twas  great  to  call  a  world  from  naught, 
Tis  greater  to  redeem." 

I  hear  two  fiats:  one  is,  "Let  there  be  light!" 
and  cosmos  emerges  from  chaos  in  the  glory  of  the 
sun.  The  other  is  recorded  in  the  saying,  "The 
light  shineth  in  the  darkness,"  and  further  in  the 
words,  "Seeing  it  is  God,  that  said.  Light  shall 
shine  out  of  darkness,  who  shined  in  our  hearts  to 
give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ." 


76         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

It  Is  related  of  Dr.  Simeon  of  Cambridge  that 
when  he  was  dying  he  said,  "I  am  not  afraid;  I 
find  my  comfort  In  the  saying  that  Is  written,  In 
the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth;  for  He  who  created  Is  able  to  save.  The 
God  who  framed  the  world  can  uphold  and  will 
never  forsake  me." 


THE    GOD    OF   PROVIDENCE 


A  definite  plan. — Universal  activity. — Universal  har- 
mony.— Universal  benevolence. — Three  kinds  of 
Providence. — A  distinction. — All  things:  Prosper- 
ity, adversity,  doubt,  temptation,  sorrow,  sin. — 
Through  Christ. 

A  definite  plan.— Let  us  be  glad  that  we  are  not 
living  in  a  topsy-turvy  world.  I  wouldn't  like  to 
live  in  a  home  where  every  child  was  left  to  his 
own  sweet  will.  Would  you?  I  wouldn't  like  to 
live  in  a  country  where  there  was  no  government 
or  executive  but  where  every  citizen  was  a  law  unto 
himself.  Would  you  ?  I  wouldn't  like  to  ride  on 
the  Empire  State  Express  at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles 
an  hour  unless  I  knew  we  were  going  on  a  good 
roadbed,  with  an  engineer  in  the  cab.  Would  you? 
But  we  are  living  in  a  world  that  revolves  on  its 
axis  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  miles  an  hour  and 
also  around  its  orbit  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  miles 
a  minute;  yet  somehow  we  keep  our  equilibrium! 
Let  us  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  God  is  on  his  throne 
and  rules  the  world  according  to  a  definite  plan. 

Paul  knew  that  there  was  such  an  overruling 
plan  when  he  wrote:  "To  them  that  love  God  all 
things  work  together  for  good."  When  a  man  can 
say  like  Paul,  "I  believe  that  there  Is  a  well  ordered 

77 


78         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

plan  In  mundane  affairs  and  a  God  behind  It,"  he 
is  on  the  way  toward  a  comprehensive  philosophy 
of  hfe. 

This  plan  Is  called  Providence.  It  Is  a  great 
word,  full  of  mysteries.  But  what  of  that?  There 
isn't  a  petty  government  on  earth  that  has  not  its 
state  secrets.  Why  should  God  reveal  everything 
to  us?  In  Paul's  words  we  have  a  clear  setting 
forth  of  all  that  really  concerns  us.  It  is  a  com- 
pendium of  all  necessary  information  as  to  the 
divine  method  of  managing  this  world  of  ours. 

Universal  activity. — The  first  fact  here  set  forth 
Is  universal  activity.  "All  things  are  at  work." 
There  Is  no  such  thing  as  inertia.  The  science  of 
nature  Is  not  statics  but  kinematics.  The  stars 
wheel  around  their  courses,  and  even  the  atoms  in 
a  block  of  granite  are  in  state  of  perpetual  flux. 

Universal  harmony. — The  second  fact  Is  univer- 
sal harmony.  All  things  *'work  together."  This 
means  that  they  are  under  a  common  law.  Order 
Is  the  result  of  co-ordination.  Nothing  Is  inde- 
pendent of  anything  else.  In  the  depths  of  the 
ocean  there  are  coral  Insects  at  work  making  con- 
tinents; In  the  course  of  time  those  continents  will 
be  occupied  by  busy  men.  It  thus  appears  that 
men  and  animalculae  are  in  a  sort  of  partnership; 
and  Wall  Street  becomes  a  corollary  of  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  The  "music  of  the  spheres"  is  real 
music.    Scientists  say  there  Is  a  point  In  the  upper 


The  God  of  Providence  79 

atmosphere  where  all  sounds  are  harmonized; 
where  the  roll  of  thunder,  the  rattle  of  artillery,  the 
laughter  of  children,  the  groans  of  the  dying,  the 
murmur  of  brooks  and  the  noise  of  traffic  are  all 
combined,  as  It  were,  Into  a  sublime  oratorio.  We 
cannot  hear  It,  but  God  does. 

Universal  benevolence.— The  third  fact  of  Prov- 
idence Is  universal  benevolence.  All  things  are 
working  together  "for  good."  The  plan  of  Provi- 
dence Is  benevolent  because  Its  Executive  Is  well  dis- 
posed toward  all.     "God  Is  love." 

Three  kinds  of  Providence.— The  early  fathers 
were  accustomed  to  speak  of  three  kinds  of  Provi- 
dence, namely:  General,  Special  and  Particular. 
The  analysis  was  a  good  one:  and  It  will  answer 
our  present  purpose  to  follow  It. 

By  General  Providence  Is  meant  the  divine  care 
of  all  things  In  the  province  of  nature.  By  reason 
of  his  three  Infinite  attributes,  omnipresence,  omni- 
science and  omnipotence,  God  Is  able  to  look  after 
infinites  and  infinitesimals  alike.  He  builds  the 
mountains  and  the  molehills.  He  controls  the  fall- 
ing star  and  the  falling  snowflake.  He  cultivates 
with  equal  care  the  lofty  pine  and  the  violet  that 
hides  beneath  it.  "Behold  the  birds  of  the  heaven, 
that  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap  nor  gather 
into  barns;  and  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth 
them." 

By  Special  Providence  Is  meant  the  divine  care 


8o         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

of  men.  It  is  natural  that  man,  who  Is  God's  mas- 
terpiece, should  be  regarded  with  a  favor  beyond 
that  extended  to  inanimate  things.  And  this  favor 
is  toward  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men.  God 
loves  all.  The  proof  of  this  is  his  constant  care  for 
all.  "He  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  the  unjust." 
The  wicked,  as  well  as  the  righteous,  can  say, 
"There's  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends,  rough 
hew  them  how  we  may."  And  a  still  more  striking 
proof  of  this  generic  love  is  afforded  In  his  un- 
speakable gift;  It  Is  written,  that  Christ  "should 
taste  of  death  for  every  man." 

By  Particular  Providence  Is  meant  the  singular 
regard  of  God  for  those  who  love  him. 

A  distinction.— So  far,  doubtless,  we  have  all 
been  agreed;  but  now  perhaps  we  shall  part  com- 
pany; for  at  this  point  a  distinction  Is  made  in  the 
philosophy  of  Providence  between  good  and  bad 
men.  It  Is  written:  ''To  them  that  love  God  all 
things  work  together  for  goodJ^ 

Why  should  not  such  a  discrimination  be  made? 
Why  should  not  God  manifest  a  singular  love  to- 
ward those  who  are  in  filial  relation  with  him? 
They  belong  to  his  family,  being  received  into  It 
"by  the  spirit  of  adoption,"  whereby  they  cry, 
"Abba,  Father!"  Is  It  not  natural  that  a  father, 
however  kindly  he  may  be  disposed  toward  all  his 
friends  and  neighbors,  should  view  the  members 
of  his  own  household  in  a  different  way?  God  says 
distinctly,  "I  love  them  that  love  me."    Jesus  said 


The  God  of  Providence  8i 

to  the  disciples,  "He  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved 
of  my  Father;  and  I  will  love  him  and  will  mani- 
fest myself  unto  him."  And  when  Jude  asked, 
"What  is  come  to  pass  that  thou  wilt  manifest  thy- 
self unto  us  and  not  unto  the  world?"  the  answer 
was.  "If  a  man  love  me  he  will  keep  my  word; 
and  my  Father  will  love  him;  and  we  will  come 
unto  him  and  make  our  abode  with  him." 

The  ground  of  this  discrimination  lies  not  in 
God  but  in  men.  He  does  the  best  he  can  for  all; 
but^  in  the  case  of  the  ungodly  his  "best"  is  not 
their  "good,"  because  they  will  not  have  it  so.  In 
the  tragedy  of  Faust  the  roses  that  were  dropped 
from  heaven  upon  the  undeserving  were  changed 
Into  burning  coals  before  they  reached  them.  So 
do  the  blessings  of  God  come  down  upon  the  un- 
godly. They  have  sovereign  wills  of  their  own  and 
can  do  as  they  please  with  his  goodness.  They 
can  thwart  all  his  beneficent  purposes  In  their  be- 
half, If  they  so  choose,  making  even  his  long- 
suffering  patience  an  occasion  for  continuance  in 
sin. 

If  a  bad  man  and  a  good  man  have  adjacent 
farms,  the  rain  will  fall  alike  upon  them,  but  with 
different  results.  The  bad  man  will  gather  his 
crops  to  his  own  advantage,  without  a  thought  of 
saying,  "God,  I  thank  thee !"  But  the  good  man 
will  make  a  prayer  as  he  scatters  the  grain  and 
offer  thanksgiving  as  he  reaps  it;  and,  when  his 
garners  are  full,  he  will  show  himself  a  grateful 
debtor  for  what  the  Lord  has  given  him. 


82         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

The  two  thieves  who  were  crucified  on  either 
side  of  Jesus  were  alike  the  beneficiaries  of  a  kind 
providence.  God  had  cared  for  them  both,  keep- 
ing them  ahve  and  feeding  them  at  his  bountiful 
table;  and  the  Saviour  between  them  tasted  death 
for  both.  Yet  one  reviled  him  and  went  to  his 
own  place;  while  the  other  repented,  believed  and 
went  to  Paradise  with  him. 

So  it  comes  to  pass  that  things  work  differently 
for  different  men.  God  does  his  best;  but  his  best 
may  be  perverted  into  evil  by  those  disposed  to 
evil.  For  the  righteous,  on  the  other  hand,  his 
best  means  their  real  and  eternal  good.  And  this 
because  they  have  come  into  harmony  with  his 
benevolent  plan,  and  have  manifested  their  consent 
by  accepting  Christ  as  the  unspeakable  gift  of  his 
grace.  For  this  reason  it  is  obvious  that  they  have 
a  singular  claim  upon  him. 

A  moment's  thought  must  convince  us  that  such 
a  discrimination  as  has  been  indicated  is  not  only 
natural,  In  the  necessity  of  the  case,  but  a  wise  pro- 
vision for  the  welfare  of  the  race.  If  God's  friends 
and  enemies  were  treated  alike  by  him,  there  would 
be  no  moral  government  in  the  world  at  all.  This 
fact  Is  recognized  In  every  community;  and  the 
welfare  of  society  depends  upon  It. 

All  things. — Are  we  to  understand  then  that,  lit- 
erally, all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  God?    Yes;  literally  all. 

Prosperity, — It  Is  easy  to  see  how  their  prosper- 


The  God  of  Providence  83 

Ity  works  for  their  good.  If  a  godless  man  Is 
prospered  In  worldly  things  does  his  wealth  make 
him  a  better  man?  Not  If  we  can  trust  our  obser- 
vation. Dives  cuts  off  his  coupons,  reaches  out  for 
more,  congratulates  himself  on  his  clever  cupidity, 
and  grows  farther  and  farther  away  from  God. 
But  one  who  truly  loves  God  reahzes  that  his 
wealth  Is  a  divine  trust  and  lives  accordingly,  re- 
garding himself  as  a  steward  of  God.  His  riches, 
by  affording  him  an  Increased  opportunity  of  do- 
ing good,  make  him  a  better  man. 

Adversity. — But,   when   adversity  comes,   what 
then  ?    All  alike  must  partake  of  It.    Children  who 
have  no  diet  but  sweetmeats  are  certain  to  be  weak- 
lings.    God  knows  how  to  administer  plain  food 
and  medicine,   also,  on  occasion.     When  the  un- 
godly  find   their   plans    overturned,    their   wealth 
scattered  and  the  bitter  draught  put  to  their  lips, 
they  make  a  W17  face  and.  If  they  recognize  God 
at  all,  they  cry  out  against  him.     The  righteous, 
on    the    contrary,    reason    on    this    wise:     "We 
had  the  fathers  of  our  flesh  to  chasten  us,  and  we 
gave  them  reverence ;  shall  we  not  much  rather  be 
in  subjection  unto  the  Father  of  spirits  and  live?" 
And  with  a  submissive  mind  they  add,  "Our  light 
affliction,  which  Is  for  the  moment,  worketh  for 
us  more  and  more  exceedingly  an  eternal  weight 
of  glory."    It  is  not  in  a  spirit  of  stoical  acceptance 
of  the  Inevitable,  but  with  the  docility  of  filial  love, 
that  they  say,  "It  is  the  Lord;  he  doeth  all  things 
well." 


84         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Doubt. — And  doubt;  does  that  also  work  for 
their  good?  For,  be  It  observed,  doubt  Is  not  con- 
fined to  the  ungodly.  There  are  occasions  when 
the  best  of  people  experience  It.  But  there  are 
two  kinds  of  doubt,  as  there  are  two  twilights, 
one  of  the  evening  and  another  of  the  morning. 
A  godless  man  by  fondling  his  doubts  cultivates 
them  and  so  makes  unbelief  a  foregone  conclusion. 
But  when  doubt  assails  a  true  Christian  he  agonizes 
to  be  rid  of  It;  he  carries  it  to  the  mercy-seat  and 
lays  It  before  him  who  said,  "I  am  the  truth";  he 
Invokes  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  opens  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  to  things  as  they  are.  Thus  his 
faith  grows  brighter  and  brighter  unto  the  perfect 
day. 

Temptation. — But  as  to  temptation;  does  that 
also  work  "for  good"  "to  them  that  love  God"  ?  It 
does;  else  it  would  never  have  been  written,  "Count 
It  all  joy  .  .  .  when  ye  fall  Into  manifold  tempta- 
tions." When  a  wicked  man  Is  tempted  to  evil  he 
Is  inclined  to  lay  It  to  heredity  or  environment,  and, 
having  no  helper,  he  fights  alone  and  against  over- 
whelming odds  to  overcome  it.  A  righteous  man, 
on  the  other  hand,  knows  that  he  is  tempted  of 
his  own  lust  and  enticed,  and  straightway,  invoking 
the  help  of  God,  he  grapples  with  it.  This  means, 
sometimes,  resisting  unto  blood;  but  "blessed  Is  the 
man  that  endureth  temptation;  for  when  he  hath 
been  approved  he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life." 
He  who  wins  out  In  this,  the  noblest  fight  that  is 
possible  to  mortal  man,  drinks  up  the  strength  of 


The  God  of  Providence  85 

the   vanquished,   gauis   strength   of   character   ac- 
cordingly, and  proceeds  to  thank  God  for  it. 

Sorrow. — And  when  sorrow  comes  to  the  godly, 
what  then  ?  The  man  who  is  without  faith  in  the 
gospel  which  brings  life  and  immortality  to  light, 
when  his  home  is  broken  up  and  loved  ones  are 
carried  to  God's  acre,  must  needs  bid  them  "Good- 
by !"  It  is  a  long  leave-taking.  But  for  the  godly 
man  there  Is  no  such  farewell.  His  leave-taking 
is  only  Auf  wiedersehen;  "Until  we  meet  again.'* 
As  the  golden  bands  of  earth  are  broken  one  by 
one,  new  bands  are  binding  him  closer  to  the  skies. 
There  are  hands  beckoning  and  voices  calling  to 
the  great  reunion  in  the  Father's  house.  There  Is 
pain  in  the  parting;  but  what  a  greeting  there  will 
be  one  of  these  bright  days !  Wherefore  "blest  be 
the  sorrow,  kind  the  storm,  that  drives  us  nearer 
home." 

Death. — And  how  about  death?  To  the  un- 
godly death  is  the  King  of  Terrors.  It  ends  all, 
or  else  it  opens  a  fearful  door  into  the  Unknown. 
But  to  God's  children  death  is  only  "a  covered 
bridge,  leading  from  light  to  light,  through  a  brief 
darkness."  To  them  death  is  the  fairest  of  heav- 
en's angels  coming  to  call  them  out  of  life's  pil- 
grimage into  an  eternal  rest:  out  of  the  sordid 
tasks  of  this  lower  world  into  nobler  pursuits;  out 
of  dreams  and  wondering  into  clear  visions,  face 
to  face  and  eye  to  eye.  Death  is  not  the  end  of 
life  but  its  beginning.  It  merely  closes  an  appren- 
ticeship which  fits  us  for  life  farther  on. 


86         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Sin. — The  only  thing  that  remains  to  complete 
this  category  of  "all  things"  is  sin,  which  is  worse 
than  adversity,  worse  than  death,  worse  than  all. 
Sin  Is  the  only  thing  In  God's  universe  of  which 
it  can  be  said,  "There  Is  no  good  in  it."  How, 
then,  can  sin  work  together  with  all  other  things 
for  the  good  of  those  who  love  God?  By  the 
simple  fact  that  he  overrules  It.  The  sin  of  the 
impenitent  means  death,  because  they  refuse  to 
enter  the  door  of  pardon;  and  "without  holiness 
no  man  shall  see  God."  But  when  the  righteous 
Is  enticed  Into  sin  he  makes  humble  confession;  and 
God,  according  to  his  promise,  is  faithful  and  just 
to  forgive  him. 

And  every  experience  of  pardon  gives  him  a  new 
vision  of  grace.  Oh,  blessed  be  God  for  this  mani- 
festation of  his  power  in  overruling  sin  and  mak- 
ing it  pay  tribute  to  those  who  love  him !  Herein 
Is  the  answer  of  Samson's  riddle,  "Out  of  the  eater 
came  forth  food,  and  out  of  the  strong  came  forth 
sweetness.", 

He  who,  with  God's  help,  puts  up  a  brave  fight 
against  his  besetting  sins  shall  come  to  heaven's 
gate  "more  than  conqueror,"  dragging  those  sins 
as  captives  at  his  chariot  wheels;  and  his  experience 
will  have  taught  him  a  song  which  angels  and  arch- 
angels cannot  sing.  He  will  stand  with  the  great 
multitude  who  are  "arrayed  In  white  robes,  and 
palms  In  their  hands,"  who  have  "washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  In  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,"  and  will  cry:     "Blessing  and  glory  and 


The  God  of  Providence  87 

wisdom  and  thanksgiving  and  honor  and  power 
and  might  be  unto  our  God  forever  and  ever!" 

So  it  appears  that  hterally  all  things  are  work- 
ing together  for  our  good  if  we  truly  love  God. 
As  it  takes  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  to  make 
the  white  solar  ray,  so  it  requires  all  the  experiences 
of  human  life,  under  the  ruling  and  overruling  of 
divine  providence,  to  make  a  man  worthy  to  stand 
at  last  in  the  presence  of  a  righteous  God. 

It  is  not  always  easy  for  us  who  are  in  the  midst 
of  the  confused  sounds  of  this  lower  life,  learning 
our  lessons  impatiently,  like  children  in  the  buzz 
of  a  busy  schoolroom,  to  realize  how  this  can  be. 

I  once  visited  a  linen  mill  in  Belfast  where  the 
proprietor  said,  "I  would  like  to  show  you  the 
whole  process  of  manufacture;  so  let  us  begin  at 
the  bottom  and  work  up."  We  entered  the  base- 
ment first,  where  there  were  piles  of  flax  in  bales 
and  bundles  and  tangled  masses,  from  Egypt,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand  and  all  over  the  world. 
There  was  no  beauty  there;  but  as  we  went  from 
one  floor  to  another  we  came  at  last  to  the  upper 
floor  where  the  most  complicated  machinery  was 
weaving  the  flax  into  linen  finer  than  Egyptian 
byssus,  in  patterns  of  exquisite  beauty. 

It  is  scarcely  to  be  expected  that  while  we  are 
living  down  here,  amid  the  raw  stuffs  that  enter 
into  the  final  glory  of  the  spiritual  life,  we  should 
be  able  to  see  the  patterns  of  character  which  the 
Lord  is  weaving  for  us;  but  one  day,  going  "from 
the  bottom  to  the  top,"  it  will  surely  appear  that 


88         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

he  was  doing  his  best  to  develop  the  best  possible 
for  us. 

Through  Christ.— It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  in- 
cluded in  this  "particular  providence";  and  the 
door  is  open  for  all  the  children  of  men.  But 
there  is  one  door  only;  that  is  Christ,  who  said, 
"I  am  the  door,"  and,  "No  man  cometh  unto  the 
Father  but  by  me."  All  the  blessings  that  we  have 
been  considering  are  for  those  who  love  God;  but 
how  can  any  man  say,  "I  love  God,"  while  he  re- 
jects God's  only-begotten  and  well-beloved  Son? 

The  thought  that  all  things  are  thus  working 
together  had  an  overwhelming  significance  to  Paul 
when  he  uttered  it;  for  observe  the  triumphal  note 
in  the  words  which  immediately  follow : 

"What  shall  we  then  say  to  these  things?  If 
God  is  for  us,  who  is  against  us? — He  that  spared 
not  his  own  Son  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all, 
how  shall  he  not  also  with  him  freely  give  us  all 
things? — Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of 
God's  elect?  It  is  God  that  justifieth;  who  is  he 
that  condemneth  ?  It  is  Christ  Jesus  that  died ;  yea 
rather,  that  was  raised  from  the  dead,  who  is  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  who  also  maketh  interces- 
sion for  us.  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love 
of  Christ?  shall  tribulation,  or  anguish,  or  persecu- 
tion, or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword? 
Even  as  it  is  written. 

For  thy  sake  we  are  killed  all  the  day  long; 

We  were  accounted  as  sheep  for  the  slaughter. 


The  God  of  Providence  89 

Nay,  In  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  con- 
querors through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am 
persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels, 
nor  principalities,  nor  things  present,  nor  things 
to  come,  nor  powers,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor 
any  other  creature  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from 
the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Tesus  our 
Lord!" 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF   MAN 

THE   FIRST   MAN 


The  climax  of  creation. — Adam  was  the  first  man. — 
He  was  unique. — He  was  the  progenitor  of  all 
mankind. — He  was  created  in  the  likeness  of  God. 
— He  was  an  innocent  man. — His  fall.— The  re- 
sult.— The  Redeemer. — The  universal  question. 

In  all  literature  there  is  nothing  more  impressive 
than  the  story  of  creation.  God  is  represented  as 
sitting  upon  the  circle  of  the  universe  and  calling 
into  being  things  that  were  not.  In  the  midst  of 
universal  confusion  he  speaks;  and  chaos  comes  to 
order!  He  calls  the  roll  of  heavenly  bodies;  and 
sun,  moon  and  stars  come  trooping  into  line !  At 
his  fiat  the  earth  is  carpeted  with  verdure,  and  air 
and  ocean  teem  with  living  things.  "And  God  saw 
that  it  was  good." 

At  this  point  we  come  upon  an  impressive  pause. 
The  temple  was  reared;  but  there  was  no  priest  or 
worshiper.  All  nature  was  vocal;  but  there  was 
no  voice  of  thanksgiving.  There  was  "the  music 
of  the  spheres" ;  but  it  was  a  song  without  words. 
The  murmuring  winds  and  rippling  brooks  could 
not  articulate  the  praise  of  Him  who  created  them. 

The  climax  of  creation. — It  Is  a  stupendous  fig- 
ure of  speech  that  calls  us,  at  this  juncture,  Into  a 

90 


The  First  Man  91 

council  of  the  Ineffable  Trinity,  In  which  the  three 
persons  of  the  Godhead  are  saying,  "Let  us  make 
man!"  So  came  the  masterpiece  of  creation  Into 
being — man,  erect,  with  his  eyes  toward  heaven, 
and  room  In  his  brain  for  all  the  mighty  plans  and 
enterprises  of  life  and  history!  man  the  thinker, 
man  the  weeper  and  merrymaker,  man  the  wor- 
shiper, man  the  master  of  seas  and  continents,  man 
the  homemaker,  the  architect  of  thrones  and  dynas- 
ties, man  with  a  heart  and  conscience;  and,  above 
all,  with  a  purpose,  namely:  to  glorify  God. 

All  things  were  ready  for  him :  the  land  for  his 
home,  and  the  sea  for  his  commerce;  the  clouds 
were  waiting  to  water  his  fields,  and  all  the  forces 
of  nature  to  be  harnessed  at  his  will.  The  springs 
of  water  and  Inexhaustible  mines  In  the  bosom  of 
the  hills  were  waiting  to  gladden  and  enrich  him. 
The  cattle  were  waiting  to  bear  his  burdens  and 
the  birds  to  sing  for  him.  It  was  a  good  world,  a 
wonderful  world.  It  was  a  temple  Indeed,  but 
without  a  service.  It  had  no  ministering  priest  nor 
worshiping  congregation.  But  behold,  the  ten- 
ant comes,  "a  living  soul,"  divinely  animated,  with 
a  heart  for  gratitude  and  a  voice  to  praise  God. 

The  man  who  thus  appeared  was  called 
"Adam."  And  no  man  of  the  Scriptures  has  been 
more  neglected  than  he.  I  have  heard  a  good 
many  sermons  In  my  time,  but  never  a  sermon  about 
Adam.  Can  It  be  that  for  some  reason  we  cherish 
a  grudge  against  him?  If  so,  what  has  he  done  to 
offend  us? 


92         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Adam  was  the  first  man. — And  just  here  science 
and  revelation  are  at  one.  There  have  been  dreams 
and  guesses  and  hypotheses  about  a  "prehistoric 
man'*;  but  science,  which  is  derived  from  a  word 
meaning  "to  know,"  has  to  do  not  with  conjectures 
but  with  facts.  The  trouble  with  all  the  much- 
heralded  prehistoric  men  Is  that,  before  their  ex- 
ploitation Is  well  under  way,  they  lose  their  cre- 
dentials. 

We  used  to  hear  much  of  the  "pliocene  skull"; 
but  what  has  become  of  It?  A  few  years  ago  the 
fossil  remains  of  a  man  were  found  In  the  Delta 
of  the  Mississippi,  at  such  a  depth  below  the  sur- 
face that  It  was  announced  forthwith  that  their 
original  must  have  lived — by  an  exact  calculation 
based  upon  the  deposits  of  earth — some  millions  of 
years  before  Adam.  But  unfortunately  the  exca- 
vators kept  on  digging  and  presently,  farther 
down,  they  unearthed  the  remains  of  a  flat-boat. 
So  passed  away  the  glory  of  that  prehistoric  man. 
And  thus  It  ever  Is.  "The  mountains  travail  and 
bring  forth  a  mouse."  We  speak  within  bounds, 
therefore,  when  we  say  that  the  researches  of  ex- 
act science  are  in  confirmation  of  the  biblical  nar- 
rative, to  the  effect  that  Adam  was  the  first  man. 

Was  unique.— He  was  not  begotten  or  born 
as  we  are;  nor,  so  far  as  the  Inspired  record  goes, 
was  he  evolved  from  any  of  the  lower  orders  of 
life.  He  was  "created."  At  the  divine  fiat  he 
stood  straightway  on  his  feet,  a  fully  developed 
man. 


The  First  Man  93 

At  this  point  again  science  and  revelation  are  at 
one.  The  "so-called  science,"  which  deals  in  hy- 
potheses, may  dissent;  but  the  science  which 
grounds  Its  propositions  on  authenticated  facts  Is  In 
hearty  accord  with  the  statement  that  the  first  man 
was  as  well  developed  as  the  man  last  born  into 
this  world  of  ours. 

It  is  written  that  God  formed  him  out  of  the 
dust.  The  legend  of  Prometheus  affirms  that  he 
was  formed  out  of  clay  and  animated  by  fire;  but 
science  and  revelation  agree  that  the  human  body, 
as  to  its  constituent  parts,  is  Identical  with  the 
composite  dust,  the  flying  dust,  the  debris  and 
sweepings  of  animal  and  vegetable  life.  ''Dust 
thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return."  The 
scientist  analyzes  the  body  and  finds  It  com- 
composed  of  oxygen,  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  car- 
bon, phosphorus,  lime.  Iron,  sulphur  and  a  pinch 
of  salt.  You  can  put  them  in  a  line  of  bottles  on 
a  shelf.  You  have  here  the  elements  of  Inorganic 
matter,  involving  the  possibilities  of  both  life  and 
death.  Is  this  all  ?  Take  down  those  bottles  from 
the  shelf  and  reorganize  their  contents  into  a  hu- 
man form.  Have  you  then  a  man?  By  no  means. 
What  is  lacking?  The  very  thing  that  Is  here  sup- 
plied: "And  God  .  .  .  breathed  into  his  nostrils 
the  breath  of  life  and  man  became  a  living  soul." 
There  Is  light  In  his  eyes;  there  is  energy  In  his 
frame;  there  is  passion  In  his  heart.  This  Is  a 
man! 

In  the  soul  which  thus  animates  his  body  we 
find  the  rationale  of  his  sovereignty  over  all  the 


94         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

lower  orders  of  life:  as  It  Is  written,  "Let  him 
have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea  and  over  the 
birds  of  the  heavens,  .  .  .  and  over  every  creeping 
thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth." 

Here  also  Is  the  guarantee  of  his  immortality. 
The  life  of  Adam  is  the  breath  of  God.  Who  or 
what  shall  make  an  end  of  It?  The  breath  may 
leave  the  body,  as  when  a  tenant  quits  his  domicile ; 
but  to  say  that  either  the  soul  or  the  tenant  has, 
therefore,  been  annihilated  is  to  speak  beyond  the 
bounds  of  reason.  When  men  have  exhausted  all 
their  logic  in  the  futile  attempt  to  prove  immor- 
tality by  what  is  called  "the  scientific  method,"  we 
return  to  the  simple  terms  of  the  creative  record 
and  pronounce  it  incredible  that  any  save  God  him- 
self can  make  an  end  of  the  majestic  being  who  Is 
thus  animated  by  the  breath  of  God. 

He  was  the  progenitor  of  all  mankind. — The 

multitudinous  peoples  of  the  earth  are  all  descend- 
ed from  him. 

And  here  again  science  and  revelation  combine 
to  affirm  the  unity  and  solidarity  of  the  race.  The 
word  which  was  spoken  by  Paul  on  Mars'  Hill, 
God  "made  of  one  every  nation  of  men  to  dwell 
on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,"  is  a  comprehensive 
summary  of  the  first  and  last  authoritative  state- 
ment respecting  the  origin  of  man. 

As  all  have  a  common  origin.  It  follows  that  all 
are  equal  before  God.  There  are  diversities  of  a 
thousand  sorts,  in  race  and  color,  in  wealth  and 


The  First  Man  95 

culture,  in  language  and  custom;  but  all  are  of  the 
same  lineage.  The  preamble  of  our  Declaration 
of  Independence,  ''All  men  are  born  free  and 
equal,"  is  the  corollary  of  Paul's  manifesto  on 
Mars'  Hill.  You  may  trace  your  birthright  to 
the  Pilgrims  or  the  Huguenots  or  the  Dutch  fore- 
fathers; but  the  roots  of  your  family  tree  are 
deeper  down  and  farther  back :  as  the  record  runs, 
"He  was  the  son  of  Seth,  who  was  the  son  of 
Adam,  who  was  the  son  of  God." 

He  was  created  in  the  likeness  of  God. — Where 
did  that  likeness  between  God  and  Adam  reside? 
It  was  certainly  not  physical;  since  God  has 
^'neither  body,  parts,  nor  passions."  It  must  have 
been  in  his  soul,  therefore.  But  what  do  we  mean 
by  "soul"?  It  is  a  trinity,  made  up  of  mind,  con- 
science and  will;  and  in  this  co-operating  three-in- 
one  we  find  the  divineness  of  man. 

The  mind  belongs  distinctly  and  exclusively  to 
him.  A  fox  can  do  a  sort  of  thinking;  it  can  esti- 
mate the  width  of  a  brook  and  calculate  its  own 
power  to  leap  it.  We  are  led  to  conclude  that  in- 
stinct and  reason  overlap,  in  a  way.  But  the  hu- 
man mind  is  singular  in  that  it  can,  as  Kepler  said, 
"think  God's  thoughts  after  him."  It  can  contem- 
plate the  great  verities  and  wrestle  with  the  great 
problems  of  the  spiritual  life.  It  can  look  back- 
ward into  the  past  and  forward  into  the  future. 
It  can  recognize  Its  relationship  with  the  God  who 
created  It  by  saying  reverently,  "I  thank  thee." 


96         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

The  conscience  is  also  distinctly  and  exclusively 
ours.  We  have  no  reason  for  supposing  that  any 
of  the  lower  orders  of  life  can  differentiate  be- 
tween right  and  wrong.  Plato  spoke  of  the  in- 
ward power  by  which  we  are  enabled  to  "discern 
betwixt  the  worse  and  better  reason."  And  just 
there  Is  the  seat  of  moral  responsibility.  The 
finger  which  conscience  lifts  to  warn  or  admonish 
us  Is  pointed  straight  at  the  judgment  throne. 

And  the  power  of  volition  Is  ours  exclusively. 
We  are  each  endowed  with  a  sovereign  will ;  and  so 
far  as  we  know  there  Is  no  other  creature  In  the 
universe  that  has  It.  The  stars  In  their  courses 
move  precisely  in  the  orbits  marked  out  for  them. 
Birds  of  the  air  and  beasts  of  the  field  obey  the 
laws  of  their  nature  which  are  the  behest  of  God. 
The  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tides  are  under  the  beck 
and  call  of  One  who  says,  "Thus  far  and  no  far- 
ther." There  Is  no  demur  or  refusal  anywhere. 
Man  only  has  the  power  to  disobey  the  divine  will; 
so  that  when  his  Lord  says,  "Thou  shalt,"  he  can 
answer,  "I  will  not!"  It  is  conceivable  that  God 
could  have  made  a  masterpiece  without  this  power 
of  choice;  but,  in  that  event,  it  would  have  been 
an  automaton,  and  not  a  man.  And  whatever  we 
may  think  of  the  beauty  of  such  a  masterpiece — 
of  such  a  machine,  wound  up  to  go  and  helpless  till 
wound  up  again — we  will  agree  that  it  would  have 
borne  no  likeness  to  a  sovereign  God. 

He  was  an  innocent  man. — That  Is  to  say,  he 
was  absolutely  free  from  sin. 


The  First  Man  97 

But  this  Is  only  to  say  that  he  was  a  charac- 
terless man.  For  Innocence  Is  negative,  while 
character  Is  the  most  positive  thing  In  the 
world.  An  Innocent  man  has  no  more  charac- 
ter than  a  white  marble  statue.  But  while  Adam, 
as.  created,  was  only  negatively  pure,  he  was  en- 
dowed with  a  capacity  for  positive  virtue.  His 
destiny  was  In  equipoise.  He  must  be  subjected  to 
trial  before  he  could  realize  the  possibilities  that 
were  In  him.  A  true  man  Is  always  a  self-made 
man.  In  other  words,  character  Is  the  outcome  of 
a  grapple  which  Involves  the  exercise  of  the  sov- 
ereign will. 

So  It  came  to  pass,  of  necessity,  that  Adam  was 
exposed  to  trial.  "And  Jehovah  God  commanded 
the  man,  saying,  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden  thou 
mayest  freely  eat;  but  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge 
of  good  and  evil,  thou  shall  not  eat  of  It;  for  In 
the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely 
die."  As  yet  Adam  had  no  experimental  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil.  He  could  only  know  evil 
by  disobeying  the  divine  law.  ''The  tree  In  the 
midst  of  the  garden"  would  answer  as  well  as  any- 
thing for  the  crucial  test.  What  happened  then? 
"He  did  eat.  And  the  eyes  of  them  both  were 
opened,   and  they  knew  that  they  were  naked." 

His  fall.— The  moment  he  ate  of  that  forbidden 
tree  he  was  stripped  of  his  Innocency  and  knew  It. 
That  moment  he  was  Initiated  Into  the  experience 
of  evil.  That  moment  his  wisdom  teeth  were  cut, 
to  his  sorrow.    That  moment  he  "died  In  trespasses 


98         The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

and  sin."  He  had  been  made  "a  living  soul,"  and 
the  life  of  his  soul  was  communion  with  God.  He 
had  been  warned  that  disobedience  meant  death. 
And  hearing  the  voice  of  God,  walking  in  the  gar- 
den, he  hid  himself.  "And  Jehovah  God  called 
unto  the  man  and  said  unto  him,  Where  art  thou? 
And  he  said,  I  heard  thy  voice  in  the  garden,  and 
I  was  afraid!"  The  soul  that  parts  company  with 
God  is  dead,  so  far  as  its  higher  functions  are  con- 
cerned, because  it  is  always  hiding  from  him. 

And  when  Adam  fell  he  dragged  his  posterity 
with  him.  A  statement  like  that  would  formerly 
have  been  challenged;  but  since  the  doctrine  of 
"original  sin"  has  been  scientifically  rechristened 
under  the  title  "heredity,"  there  Is  little  or  no  op- 
position to  II.  We  may  not  like  the  terms  In  which 
the  New  England  Primer  phrased  It,  "In  Adam's 
fall  we  sinned  all";  or  In  which  John  Milton  sang 

"Of  man's  first  disobedience,  and  the  fruit 
Of  that  forbidden  tree  whose  mortal  taste 
Brought  death  Into  the  world  and  all  our  woe" ; 

but  let  the  fact  be  stated  In  scientific  terms — as 
when  you  attribute  your  sciatica  to  a  remote  ances- 
tor who  violated  the  laws  of  health — and  you 
instantly  assent  to  It.  We  may  take  exception  to 
the  justice  of  the  proposition,  but  the  fact  Is  Indis- 
putable. And  we  are  no  more  warranted  in  ques- 
tioning its  justice  than  we  would  be  In  refusing  to 
pay  our  taxes  for  the  extinction  of  our  national  debt 
because  we  had  no  hand  In  contracting  it. 


The  First  Man  99 

The  result.— The  race  has  lost  its  primal  Inno- 
cency.  'Tor  there  Is  no  distinction;  for  all  have 
sinned  and  fall  short  of  the  glory  of  God."  We 
have  lost,  In  like  measure,  our  self-respect;  since  we 
acknowledge  our  transgressions;  and  our  sins  are 
ever  before  us.  We  have  lost  the  life  of  fellow- 
ship with  God,  and  we  have  acquired  a  universal 
tendency  to  sin.  Otherwise  how  Is  It  that  sin  Is 
so  easy  and  goodness  so  difficult  for  us?  A  pagan 
wrote,  "The  downward  path  Is  easy;  but  to  recover 
one's  steps  and  regain  the  upper  air,  ah,  there  Is 
the  struggle  of  life!"  And  a  fierce  struggle  It  Is! 
For,  as  Plato  said,  "We  ride  In  a  chariot  drawn 
by  two  horses  pulling  In  different  ways";  or  as 
Paul  puts  It,  there  Is  a  war  In  our  members;  so 
that  when  we  would  do  good,  evil  Is  present  with 
us. 

This  Is,  Indeed,  the  grapple  of  life;  and  we  are 
hopelessly  handicapped  In  It.  We  are  not  only 
handicapped  by  our  inheritance  of  evil  tendency; 
but  by  the  cumulative  force  of  habit,  which  we 
draw  after  us  as  "an  ever-lengthening  chain";  and 
also  by  the  horror  of  the  misllved  past,  which 
cripples  our  ambition  by  shutting  us  up  to  "a  certain 
fearful  looking  for  of  judgment."  How  can  a 
man  hope  to  win  out  in  a  struggle  against  such 
odds? 

The  practical  question  is.  What  shall  we  do  ?  It 
is  obvious  that  we  are  without  hope  except  in  the 
intervention  of  the  omnipotent  God  who  created 
us.     We  are  "lost."    Lost  Is  the  word.    We  are 


loo       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

lost  to  innocency,  lost  to  character,  lost  to  useful- 
ness and  happiness,  lost  In  a  far-wandering  exile 
from  God.  But  so  long  as  God  Is  omnipotent  we 
are  not  hopelessly  lost.  We  are  lost  as  a  wreck 
that  may  yet  be  dragged  from  the  shoals.  We  are 
lost,  like  the  prodigal  In  the  far  country,  who  may 
yet  be  found.  We  are  lost  beyond  all  self-salva- 
tion, but  not  beyond  the  saving  grace  of  the  all- 
wise  and  Almighty  God. 

The  Redeemer. — At  this  juncture  we  come  upon 
another  council  In  the  Trinity.  '*God  looked  down 
from  heaven  upon  the  children  of  men,  to  see  If 
there  were  any  that  did  understand,  that  did  seek 
after  God  .  .  .  There  Is  none  that  doeth  good, 
no,  not  one."  He  saw  the  race  going  on  recklessly 
and  hopelessly  In  sin.  He  heard  the  cry  of  the 
perishing,  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?" 
Then  the  council.  In  all  the  pages  of  Scripture 
there  Is  no  bolder  Imagery  than  this.  The  Father 
and  Son  and  Spirit  are  represented  as  asking, 
"Whom  shall  we  send;  and  who  will  go  for  us?" 
that  Is,  "Who  shall  undo  the  awful  thing  that 
Adam  did?  Who  shall  repair  the  wreck?  Who 
shall  go  forth  as  a  knight-errant  to  restore  hu- 
manity to  truth  and  righteousness?"  And  the  only- 
begotten  Son  of  the  Father  volunteers  to  go,  say- 
ing, "Here  am  I!"  He  saw  us  plunged  in  deep 
distress,  and  flew  to  our  relief. 

No  sooner  had  Adam  sinned  than  the  second 
Adam  was  prophesied  In  the  protevangel  that  the 


The  First  Man  ioi 

Seed  of  woman  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 
In  the  fullness  of  time  he  came  to  atone  for  our 
sins,  and  to  open  unto  us,  in  his  gospel,  the  way 
of  everlasting  life.    And  on  the  cross  he  did  it! 

The  universal  question. — The  question  that  now 
demands  an  answer  from  every  man  is  this.  Shall 
I  continue  in  the  estate  wherein  Adam  left  me  or 
shall  I,  by  faith,  receive  Christ  as  my  Saviour  from 
sin?  The  first  Adam  was  our  natural  progenitor; 
the  second  Adam  offers  himself  as  the  "firstborn 
among  many  brethren,"  by  whose  triumph  over 
death  we  may  enter  into  life.  The  first  man  Adam 
was  made  a  living  soul,  and  he  died;  the  second 
Adam  was  made  a  quickening  spirit,  with  power 
to  confer  life  upon  all  who  believe  in  him.  He 
called  himself  "the  resurrection  and  the  life."  He 
said,  "I  come  that  they  may  have  life  and  may  have 
it  abundantly."  The  first  Adam  or  the  second 
Adam?  Sin  or  character?  Death  or  life?  It  is 
for  every  man  to  say  for  himself  which  it  shall  be. 


THE   MEASURE   OF   A   MAN 


Measuring  man. — Measuring  God. — Measuring  by  the 
soul. — By  speech. — By  deeds. — Non-Christians. — 
Falling  short. — The  true  measure. 

I  do  not  know  you;  and  you  do  not  know  me. 
We  are  like  unacquainted  neighbors  looking  at  each 
other  through  windows  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
street.  Nay,  worse  than  that,  we  do  not  even  see 
each  other;  we  only  see  the  respective  houses  that 
we  live  In.  The  tenant  who  Is  looking  through 
these  eyes  and  speaking  with  these  lips  Is  quite  be- 
yond your  ken.  How,  then,  shall  you  find  him  out? 

Measuring  man. — How  to  measure  a  man;  that 
Is  the  question.  It  cannot  be  done  with  a  foot-rule ; 
because  stature  has  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  It. 
If  you  use  steelyards  you  will  find  so  many  pounds 
of  bone  and  sinew  and  blood  and  adipose;  but  that 
Is  obviously  not  the  substance  of  a  man.  Or  sup- 
pose you  analyze  him  chemically  and  put  his  com- 
ponent parts  Into  bottles  on  a  shelf;  so  much  carbon 
In  one,  so  much  phosphorus  In  another  and  so  on; 
will  that  row  of  bottles  hold  your  man? 

Well,  then,  let  us  measure  him  by  his  wealth. 
If  you  turn  a  boy's  pocket  Inside  out  you  will  find 
a  ball  of  string,  a  cork  set  with  fish  hooks,  a  Bar- 

102 


The  Measure  of  a  Man  103 

low  knife,  et  cetera;  and  when  he  grows  up  into  a 
millionaire  his  pockets  will  hold  only  larger  play- 
things, such  as  bonds,  mortgages  and  yellow  dust; 
millions  it  may  be ;  but  millions  cannot  make  a  man. 
We  turn  then  to  his  genealogy.  If  you  find  an 
idler  asleep  under  an  oak,  can  you  measure  him 
by  the  oak?  No  more  can  you  measure  your  man 
by  his  family  tree.  Well,  there  is  nothing  left  but 
his  crowns  and  his  purple  and  tinsel  gewgaws. 

**  Ye  see  yon  birkie  ca'd  a  lord, 
Wha'  struts  an'  stares  an'  a'  that? 
Though  hundreds  worship  at  his  word 

He's  but  a  cuif  for  a'  that 

The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp; 
The  man's  the  gowd  for  a'  that." 

These  methods  will  not  answer.  In  order  to 
form  a  just  estimate  of  man  we  must  somehow  get 
at  himself  and  not  merely  at  the  outer  shell  of  cir- 
cumstance that  envelops  him.  The  true  mode  of 
measurement  is  given  by  Solomon:  "As  a  man 
thinketh  in  his  heart  so  is  he."  The  same  idea  is 
expressed  by  Isaac  Watts,  where  he  says, 

**  Were  I  so  tall  to  reach  the  pole 
Or  grasp  the  ocean  in  my  span, 
I  must  be  measured  by  my  soul: 

The  mind's  the  standard  of  the  man." 

Measuring  God. —  This  is  the  way  we  measure 
God.  "No  man  hath  seen  him  at  any  time,"  but 
his  thoughts  are  all  about  us.  "For  my  thoughts 
are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my 


104       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

ways,"  salth  Jehovah,  'Tor  as  the  heavens  are 
higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than 
your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts." 
David  sings,  "How  great  are  thy  works,  O  Je- 
hovah! Thy  thoughts  are  very  deep."  "How  pre- 
cious also  are  thy  thoughts  unto  me,  O  God!" 
In  like  manner  Paul  pays  tribute  to  the  thoughts  of 
the  Infinite  mind,  "O  the  depth  of  the  riches  both 
of  the  wisdom  and  the  knowledge  of  God!  how  un- 
searchable are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past 
tracing  out!"  The  stars  of  heaven,  the  rolling 
seas  and  the  mountains  are  among  his  great 
thoughts.  But  oh,  the  riches  of  the  Infinite  mind 
as  revealed  In  his  loving  thoughts!  His  Word 
written  for  our  guidance;  his  Word  Incarnated  for 
our  salvation;  the  Cross  and  the  redeeming  work 
that  was  wrought  upon  It — these  are  among  his 
loving  thoughts.  Put  all  those  thoughts  together 
and  you  will  have  a  just  conception  of  God,  who  Is 
otherwise  past  finding  out. 

Measuring  by  the  soul.— As  we  are  God's  chil- 
dren we  must  needs  be  measured  In  the  same  way. 
To  know  a  man  you  must  do  more  than  pass  your 
hands  over  his  face.  You  must  get  down  Into  "the 
hidden  man  of  the  heart"  and  rummage  among  his 
thoughts;  so  shall  you  measure  him,  for  "so  Is  he." 

"We  live  in  deeds,  not  years;  In  thoughts,  not  breaths; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial: 
We  should  count  time  by  heart-throbs ;  he  most  lives 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best." 


The  Measure  of  a  Man  105 

Let  It  be  understood,  however,  that  the  thoughts 
which  thus  define  and  reveal  a  man  are  not  the 
dreams  and  reveries  which  merely  skim  his  sur- 
face like  zephyrs  on  a  summer  sea,  but  "the 
thoughts  of  his  heart."  The  word  "heart"  Is  here 
used  In  Its  most  comprehensive  sense;  It  refers  not 
merely  to  the  emotional  functions,  but  to  the  brain 
and  conscience  and  will.  The  whole  man  Is  doing 
this  thinking;  and  the  result  Is  a  code  or  series  of 
deep  convictions  and  principles  which,  on  the  one 
hand,  define  character  and,  on  the  other,  furnish 
a  working  theory  of  life. 

The  thinking  of  a  man's  heart  Is  not  like  sur- 
face plowing  for  the  raising  of  meadow  grass,  but 
the  driving  of  a  plowshare  deep  Into  the  reality 
of  things  for  a  harvest  of  wheat.  When  the  pro- 
cess Is  over  the  man  does  not  say,  "I  guess,"  but, 
"I  know;  I  believe;  I  am  persuaded  thus  and  so." 
His  thoughts  have  become  principles  by  being 
sealed  with  a  Yea  and  Amen;  and  these  constitute 
the  man.  If  we  were  thoroughly  familiar  with 
these  thoughts  we  should  know  the  man.  In  order 
to  do  that,  however,  we  must  be  In  constant  com- 
pany with  him.  In  that  case  we  should  perceive 
his  thoughts  In  two  different  ways. 

By  speech. — To  begin  with,  they  express  them- 
selves in  words;  as  it  Is  written  "Out  of  the  abun- 
dance of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh." 

It  Is  not,  however,  by  what  a  man  says  at  any 
particular  time  that  he  uncovers  himself.     A  mer- 


io6       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

chant's  stock-in-trade  must  not  be  judged  by  the 
display  in  his  show  window.  You  repeat  the 
Apostles'  Creed:  ^'I  believe  in  God  the  Father 
Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth;  and  in 
Jesus  Christ  his  only  Son,  our  Lord.  .  .  .  I  be- 
lieve in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  holy  catholic  church, 
the  communion  of  saints,  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 
the  resurrection  of  the  body  and  the  life  everlast- 
ing; AmenJ^  That  sounds  orthodox;  but  are  you 
sure  you  mean  it? 

The  betrayal  of  the  inner  man  is  not  by  any 
single  utterance  but  by  one's  entire  vocabulary.  If 
I  could  follow  you  about  and  listen  at  your  home, 
in  the  market-place  and  wherever  you  have  deal- 
ings with  your  fellow-men;  if  I  could  hear  what 
you  are  saying  to  yourself  when  your  lips  move 
as  you  pass  along  the  street,  I  might  thus  be  able 
to  make  a  diagnosis  of  your  character;  for  in  the 
long  run  the  tongue  gives  the  heart  away.  It  was 
with  this  in  mind  that  the  Apostle  James  said,  "If 
any  man  thinketh  himself  to  be  religious,  while  he 
bridleth  not  his  tongue  but  deceiveth  his  heart,  this 
man's  religion  is  vain." 

By  deeds. —  The  thoughts  of  the  heart  are  also 
revealed  by  the  deeds  of  a  man.  It  is  a  true  saying, 
^'Actions  speak  louder  than  words." 

But  here  again  we  are  not  to  pass  judgment  on 
character  by  any  particular  act.  A  while  ago  a  mil- 
lionaire with  a  stroke  of  his  pen  endowed  a  college, 
and  thereby  set  forces  in  motion  which  are  destined 


The  Measure  of  a  Man  107 

to  do  good  along  the  ages.  Will  you  say,  there- 
fore, that  he  was  thoroughly  a  good  man  ?  On  the 
same  day  a  husband,  crazed  by  a  "brain-storm'* 
of  jealousy,  slew  his  familiar  friend;  for  which  he 
was  sentenced  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life 
behind  prison  bars.  Will  you  say,  therefore,  that 
he  was  thoroughly  a  bad  man?  In  either  case  your 
judgment  would  be  superficial  and  wholly  at  fault. 
In  order  to  determine  with  respect  to  the  character 
of  either  of  those  or  of  any  other  man,  you  must 
get  the  sum  total  of  his  acts.  You  must  follow 
him  Into  the  company  of  his  wife  and  children,  of 
his  Intimate  friends  and  business  associates.  Into 
all  the  relations  of  his  life.  Would  you  undertake 
to  sell  a  house  by  furnishing  a  single  brick  as  a 
sample  of  It?  Look  at  your  man.  Follow  him. 
Get  his  tout  ensemble.  Test  him  by  the  Decalogue. 
Then  test  him  by  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  then 
by  the  Lord's  Prayer.  And  before  you  are 
through  with  It,  If  you  can  only  keep  In  his  com- 
pany long  enough,  you  will  find  that  "the  hidden 
man  of  the  heart"  has  come  out  Into  the  open. 

It  Is  unfortunate  that  we  are  never  long  enough 
with  any  one  to  pass  a  clear  judgment  upon  his 
character  from  the  sum  total  of  either  his  words 
or  his  deeds.  But  God  Is;  he  sees  him  and  hears 
him  every  moment  of  the  day  and  the  night;  and, 
therefore,  he  "knoweth  him  altogether."  He 
makes  no  mistakes  in  judgment,  because  he  Is  "ac- 
quainted with  the  secret  Imaginations  of  the  heart 
of  a  man." 


io8       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

The  thoughts  of  a  man  as  thus  reflected  In 
speech  and  conduct  make  up  his  character.  "So 
is  he." 

**  Worth  makes  the  man,  and  want  of  it  the  fellow; 
The  rest  is  naught  but  leather  and  prunella." 

The  prevailing  fault  of  our  time  Is  the  estimat- 
ing of  manhood  by  the  accidentals  of  life  rather 
than  by  its  essentials.  Not  what  a  man  has  or  what 
happens  to  him;  not  wealth  nor  noble  blood  nor 
crowns  nor  titles ;  but  the  things  that  are  In  him  and 
shining  through  him ;  his  thoughts,  motives,  springs 
of  action;  these  constitute  the  man. 

Non-Christians. —  The  non-Christian  claims  that 
he  does  not  come  under  the  measuring  line.  He 
says,  "I  cannot  be  inconsistent,  because  I  make  no 
profession."  Oh,  yes,  you  do,  my  friend.  You 
make  a  very  loud  profession;  and  It  behooves  you 
to  live  up  to  It.  You  profess  to  believe  that  a  man 
Is  wise  enough  to  get  along  without  asking  light 
of  God.  You  profess  to  believe  that  a  man  needs 
no  Bible  because  his  way  Is  clear  enough  without 
it.  You  profess  to  believe  that  a  man  is  strong 
enough  to  live  uprightly  without  the  Church  or 
Christian  fellowship  to  lean  on.  You  profess  to 
believe  that  a  man  Is  good  enough  for  heaven  with- 
out relying  on  the  Saviour  to  pardon  his  sins.  And 
I  charge  you  here  and  now  with  Inconsistency. 
You  have  a  creed  and  you  are  not  living  up  to  it. 
You  are  neither  wise  enough  nor  strong  enough  nor 


The  Measure  of  a  Man  109 

good  enough  to  point  your  finger  at  others  who 
are  indeed  no  better  than  they  ought  to  be.  "Cast 
out  first  the  beam  out  of  thine  own  eye,  and  then 
shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast  out  the  mote  out  of 
thy  brother's  eye." 

Falling  short. — The  fact  is,  we  are  none  of  us 
any  better  than  wc  ought  to  be.  Christians  profess 
not  to  be  good,  but  to  be  trying  to  be  good;  and 
even  with  divine  help  they  have  a  hard  time  of  it. 
Non-Christians  profess  to  be  good  enough  without 
Christ;  and  they  fall  a  long  way  short  of  it.  "We 
are  all  John  Thompson's  bairns."  We  all  alike 
"keep  the  word  of  promise  to  the  ear  but  break  it 
to  the  hope."  That,  however,  is  not  the  point. 
We  are  all  inconsistent  with  our  professions;  but 
we  are  consistent  with  our  principles  and  convic- 
tions; that  is,  with  "the  thoughts  of  our  hearts." 
Wherefore,  it  behooves  us  to  pray  not  so  much  that 
we  may  be  consistent  with  our  profession  as  that  we 
may  have  clean  hearts  In  the  sight  of  God. 

And  just  here  we  fall  down;  for  "there  is  no 
difference;  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God."  This  is  conviction  of  sin,  as  it  is 
written,  "If  our  heart  condemn  us,  God  is  greater 
than  our  heart,  and  knoweth  all  things.  If  our 
heart  condemn  us  not,  we  have  boldness  toward 
God."  It  matters  not  by  what  criterion  we  judge 
ourselves  we  find  that  we  are  not  what  we  ought  to 
be.  If  we  look  within,  our  hearts  condemn  us; 
if  we  look  without,  our  friends  and  neighbors  con- 


no       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

demn  us;  in  any  case  we  have  no  recourse  but  to 
throw  ourselves  upon  the  mercy  of  God. 

The  true  measure. — At  this  point  the  Apostle 
Paul  enters  with  this  suggestion:  "If  there  is 
therefore  any  exhortation  in  Christ,  if  any  conso- 
lation of  love,  if  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit,  if 
any  tender  mercies  and  compassions,  .  .  .  have 
this  mind  in  yon  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus  J* 
This  is  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter.  We 
need  Christ;  we  need  him  for  the  pardon  of  past 
sins;  we  need  him  for  present  duty;  we  need  him 
for  the  hope  of  the  future  life.  We  need  the 
mind  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus  so  that  we  may  be 
thinking  his  thoughts  after  him. 

When  Solomon  says,  "As  a  man  thinketh  in  his 
heart  so  is  he,"  he  lays  down  general  principles 
for  the  measurement  of  man;  but  Paul  goes  far- 
ther; he  makes  a  specific  application  of  those  prin- 
ciples when  he  points  to  Christ,  saying,  "Be  thou 
like  him."  Here,  then,  is  the  secret  of  right  liv- 
ing, to  bring  ourselves  into  harmony  with  the 
thinking  of  Christ. 

So  let  us  examine  ourselves.  Do  we  think  of 
God  as  Christ  thought  of  him?  Do  we  think  of 
life  as  Christ  did;  not  as  a  handbreadth  of  time 
but  as  an  interminable  series  of  infinite  aeons  for 
which  we  are  preparing  here  and  now?  Do  we 
think  of  the  Bible  as  Christ  thought  of  it,  who 
knew  and  loved  it,  preached  and  practised  it,  and 
never  uttered  a  word  or  syllable  against  it?     Do 


The  Measure  of  a  Man  m 

we  think  of  the  Cross  as  he  thought  of  It;  not  as 
an  accident  befalling  a  martyr,  but  as  a  necessity 
laid  upon  the  sinless  Son  of  God  for  the  deliver- 
ance of  sinners  from  the  awful  grip  of  sin?  Are 
these  our  heart  thoughts?  If  in  this  manner  the 
mind  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus  be  also  in  us,  so  that 
we  regard  the  great  verities  of  the  spiritual  hfe 
as  he  did,  and  so  that  our  thoughts  are  framed  Into 
great  principles  and  convictions  as  his  were,  then 
our  speech  will  "bewray"  us,  and  our  light  will  so 
shine  that  men,  seeing  our  good  works,  shall  glo- 
rify God. 


WHOSE  MAN  AM  If 


A  question  of  ownership. — God  the  primal  owner. — 
Change  in  ownership.— -A  second  change. — ^A  com- 
mercial view  ? — Under  bonds  to  serve. — Is  it  uni- 
versal ? — The  one  condition. 

A  question  of  ownership. — Who  owns  me  ?  No- 
body. I  am  bound,  therefore,  to  stand  on  my  own 
feet;  to  do  my  own  thinking,  to  frame  my  own 
convictions,  to  follow  my  own  conscience,  and  to 
insist  that  no  other  man  shall  in  any  manner  what- 
soever have  the  least  shadow  of  proprietary  right 
in  me. 

At  the  beginning  of  our  Civil  War  it  was  pro- 
posed, In  the  Interest  of  peace,  to  purchase  the 
slaves  of  their  Southern  masters  and  liberate  them. 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  filled  with  indignation  at 
the  suggestion,  wrote  his  "Boston  Hymn,"  in  which 
occur  these  words : 

"Pay  ransom  to  the  owner? 
Aye,  fill  the  bag  to  the  brim ! 
Who  is  the  owner?    The  slave  is  owner; 
And  always  was.     Pay  him  !" 

There  will  probably  be  no  difference  of  opinion  as 
to  the  Tightness  of  that  view.    So  far  as  our  fellow- 

112 


Whose  Man  Am  I?  113 

men  are  concerned  they  have  no  right  of  owner- 
ship In  us. 

God  the  primal  owner.— But  when  God  comes 
on  the  premises  the  question  assumes  a  different 
phase.    By  every  right  he  owns  us. 

In  view  of  this  fact  there  never  was  a  time  when 
a  man  could  properly  say,  "I  am  my  own  man." 
Adam  could  not  say  It.  If  God  had  carved  an  Im- 
age and  Inscribed  upon  Its  forehead  "Jehovah,"  his 
proprietary  right  In  the  product  of  his  own  handi- 
work would  not  have  been  more  firmly  established 
than  It  was  In  the  case  of  Adam,  of  whom  It  Is 
written,  "Jehovah  God  formed  man  of  the  dust 
of  the  ground,  and  breathed  Into  his  nostrils  the 
breath  of  life;  and  man  became  a  living  soul."  If 
proof  were  needed  of  this  ownership  It  Is  forthcom- 
ing and  conclusive  In  the  fact  that  Adam  was  bound 
to  obey  the  divine  law. 

At  this  point  let  Jeremiah  speak:  "The  word 
which  came  to  Jeremiah  from  Jehovah,  saying, 
Arise  and  go  down  to  the  potter's  house,  and  there 
I  will  cause  thee  to  hear  my  words.  Then  I  went 
down  to  the  potter's  house,  and,  behold,  he  was 
making  a  work  on  the  wheels.  And  when  the  vessel 
that  he  made  of  the  clay  was  marred  in  the  hand  of 
the  potter,  he  made  it  again  another  vessel,  as 
seemed  good  to  the  potter  to  make  It.  Then  the 
word  of  Jehovah  came  unto  me,  saying,  Behold,  as 
the  clay  In  the  potter's  hand,  so  are  ye  In  my  hand, 
O  house  of  Israel !"    The  same  thought  Is  amplified 


114       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

by  Paul  where  he  says:  ''Shall  the  thing  formed 
say  to  him  that  formed  It,  Why  didst  thou  make 
me  thus?  Or  hath  not  the  potter  a  right  over  the 
clay  ?"  Romans  9  :  20-2 1 .  It  Is  thus  apparent  that 
man  In  his  original  state  of  Innocency  belonged  to 
God,  as  the  creature  of  his  hands,  and  was  subject 
absolutely  to  his  holy  will. 

Change  in  ownership. — But  something  happened 
in  the  Garden  of  Eden  which  marked  a  complete 
change  of  ownership.  The  man  who  was  created 
In  a  state  of  Innocency,  being  carried  away  by  self- 
will,  broke  the  divine  law.  In  thus  taking  mat- 
ters Into  his  own  hands  he  became  not  his  own  mas- 
ter, but  the  servant  of  sin.  Paul  puts  It  on  this 
wise:  "I  am  carnal,  sold  under  sin";  and  he 
proves  this  by  saying,  "For  that  which  I  do,  I 
know  not ;  for  not  what  I  would,  that  do  I  practise ; 
but  what  I  hate,  that  I  do.  .  .  .  I  see  a  law  In  my 
members  .  .  .  bringing  me  Into  captivity  under 
the  law  of  sin.  .  .  .  Wretched  man  that  I  am ! 
who  shall  deliver  me  out  of  the  body  of  this 
death?" 

And  this  Is  a  universal  fact.  "There  Is  no  dis- 
tinction; for  all  have  sinned  and  fall  short  of  the 
glory  of  God."  We  are  all  under  the  domination 
of  this  "law  In  our  members";  bound  by  the  chains 
of  habitual  sin,  as  really  as  are  the  convicts  of 
Louisiana  who  serve  with  ball  and  chain,  breaking 
stone  on  the  highways.  "Every  one  that  com- 
mitteth  sin  is  the  bondservant  of  sin." 


Whose  Man  Am  I?  115 

A  second  change.— But  here  enters  Christ;  and 
with  him  comes  another  change  of  ownership.  He 
tells  us  the  reason  of  his  coming  into  the  world: 
"The  Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  In  other  words,  he  came  to  "redeem"  us, 
that  is,  to  buy  us  back  from  sin.  He  paid  the  ran- 
som on  Calvary.  It  was  blood,  his  own  precious 
blood.  As  sinners  we  were  under  the  law  which 
says,  "The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die."  He 
came  to  assume  our  place  at  the  bar  of  the  offended 
law,  to  meet  our  obligation,  to  cancel  our  debt  by 
paying  it,  and  so  to  redeem  us  from  the  power  of 
sin. 

But  with  that  redemption  came  ownership.  "Ye 
are  bought  with  a  price,"  says  Paul.  This  is,  as 
it  were,  the  Bill  of  Sale.  It  sets  forth  a  transfer 
of  ownership  from  sin  to  Christ :  and  to  this  trans- 
fer there  are  two  witnesses.  One  of  them  is  Paul 
the  philosopher,  who  says,  "Ye  are  not  your  own; 
ye  are  bought  with  a  price" ;  and  the  other  witness 
Is  Peter  the  fisherman,  who  not  only  agrees  wnth 
Paul,  but  goes  farther  and  designates  the  purchase 
price,  "not  silver  and  gold,  but  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ."  And  both  of  these  witnesses  arrive  at 
the  same  conclusion,  to  wit,  that  our  life  service 
must,  by  the  rule  of  common  honesty,  be  given  to 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God. 

A  commercial  view? — The  one  objection  made 
to  this  transaction  Is  that  it  is  a  "commercial  view." 


ii6       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Granted;  but  what  of  It?  The  objection  Is  In- 
tended to  cast  a  slur  upon  the  Cross;  but,  in  fact, 
it  pays  the  highest  possible  tribute  to  It. 

For  the  very  heart  of  commerce  Is  honesty.  It 
Is  founded  on  "the  square  deal."  If  men  were  to 
lose  their  sense  of  honesty,  the  bottom  would  drop 
out  of  Wall  Street,  merchants  would  close  their 
places  of  business  and  ships  would  lie  rotting  at 
their  docks.  It  Is  commerce  that  makes  the  world 
go  'round ;  and  commerce  would  be  impossible  but 
for  the  rules  of  fair  dealing  which  prevail  among 
men.  To  say  that  the  vicarious  view  of  the  Atone- 
ment is  "commercial"  is  only  another  way  of  saying 
that  it  is  founded  on  the  principles  of  even-handed 
justice.  You  say  this  savors  of  the  marketplace? 
So  be  it.  We  want  a  God  whose  character  shall — 
to  say  the  least — not  be  less  respectable  than  that 
of  an  honest  man. 

The  Cross  is  the  highest  tribute  ever  paid  to 
what  men  call  "the  square  deal."  It  stood  for  sat- 
isfaction to  the  broken  and  offended  law.  To  say 
that  God  could  pardon  a  sinner  without  satisfying 
the  law  is  to  magnify  his  love  at  the  expense  of  his 
justice  and  clothe  him  with  an  unscrupulous  and 
sentimental  weakness  which  we  deplore  in  any 
of  our  fellow-men.  Not  so  is  the  God  of  our  sal- 
vation. As  we  stand  at  Calvary  and  note  the  great 
transaction  by  which  we  are  delivered  from  the 
bondage  of  sin,  we  find  a  logical  and  conclusive 
answer  to  the  question,  "How  can  God  be  just  and 
yet  the  justlfier  of  the  ungodly?"  By  the  paying  of 


Whose  Man  Am  I?  117 

the  ransom  the  Law  is  fully  satisfied;  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, "Mercy  and  truth  are  met  together;  righteous- 
ness and  peace  have  kissed  each  other." 

Under  bonds  to  serve. — The  conclusion  is  un- 
avoidable, "Ye  were  bought  with  a  price:  glorify 
God  therefore  in  your  body." 

A  Christian,  who  has  entered  into  the  benefits 
of  the  Atonement  by  accepting  the  ransom  is  under 
bonds  to  devote  his  whole  life  to  the  service  of 
Christ.  He  is  obviously  not  his  own.  The  Karens 
were  accustomed  to  speak  of  their  missionary,  Ado- 
nlram  Judson,  as  "Jesus  Christ's  man."  So  is 
every  one  who  professes  to  follow  Christ.  It  is  not 
enough  that  he  should  pay  a  "tithe"  of  his  sub- 
stance. A  tithe  will  do  for  a  beginning;  but  Christ 
who  has  ransomed  us  owns  not  one-tenth  but  ten- 
tenths  of  us  and  ours.  All  my  time,  all  my  talents, 
all  my  possessions,  every  drop  of  my  blood,  every 
fibre  of  my  body,  every  power  of  my  soul,  every 
atom  of  energy  that  is  in  me,  belongs  absolutely, 
by  a  fee  simple  right,  to  him. 

In  1478  Louis  XI,  in  consideration  of  a  benefit 
received,  as  he  thought,  from  the  Virgin  Mary, 
made  a  deed  giving  her  the  city  of  Boulogne;  but 
he  was  careful  to  stipulate  that  the  revenues  of  the 
city  should  be  reserved  for  his  own  personal  use. 
To  make  a  vow  of  consecration  to  Christ  after  that 
manner  is  to  fall  infinitely  short  of  the  require- 
ments of  the  Christian  life. 


ii8       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

**  When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 
On  which  the  Prince  of  Glory  died, 
My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss 

And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride. 

* '  Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine 
That  were  a  present  far  too  small; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 

Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all.*' 

Is  it  universal? — The  matter,  however,  does  not 
end  here.  All  will  agree  that  Christians  are  bound 
by  the  terms  of  the  ransom.  But  how  about  non- 
Christians?  Are  they  under  similar  bonds?  Here 
is  where  the  question  of  common  honesty  must  be 
brought  home  to  many  who  are  not  seriously  dis- 
posed to  consider  It.  Christ  Is  said  to  have  "tasted 
death  for  every  man."  If  so,  then  non-Christians 
as  well  as  the  professed  followers  of  Christ  were 
ransomed  by  his  death.  What  then?  Does  It  fol- 
low that  all  are  saved?  By  no  means.  The  bene- 
fits of  redemption  are  not  thrust  upon  unwilling 
men.  God  respects  the  freedom  of  our  sovereign 
wills.  For  all  who  accept  him  by  faith,  the  ran- 
som IS  made  efficient  unto  life;  while  those  who  re- 
ject him  are  still,  of  their  own  volition,  In  bondage 
under  sin.  The  sole  condition  of  life  Is  faith;  and 
faith  IS  simply  an  acceptance  of  the  free  gift. 

The  statement  of  Scripture  Is  perfectly  clear  as 
to  this  matter:  for  example  "He  came  unto  his 
own,  and  they  that  were  his  own  received  him  not. 
But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  the 


Whose  Man  Am  I?  119 

right  to  become  children  of  God."  Again:  "He 
that  beheveth  on  the  Son  hath  eternal  life;  and  he 
that  obeyeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life;  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abldeth  on  him."  Again:  "God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  eternal  life.  For  God  sent  not 
the  Son  Into  the  world  to  judge  the  world;  but  that 
the  world  should  be  saved  through  him.  He  that 
believeth  on  him  Is  not  judged ;  but  he  that  believeth 
not  hath  been  judged  already,  because  he  hath  not 
believed  on  the  name  of  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God."  Again:  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of 
of  God  hath  the  witness  In  him;  he  that  believeth 
not  God  hath  made  him  a  liar;  because  he  hath  not 
believed  In  the  witness  that  God  hath  borne  con- 
cerning his  Son.  And  the  witness  Is  this,  that  God 
gave  unto  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  Is  In  hIs-Son. 
He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  the  life,  and  he  that 
hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not  the  Hfe.  These 
things  have  I  written  unto  you,  that  ye  may  know 
that  ye  have  eternal  life,  even  unto  you  that  believe 
on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God." 

The  one  condition. —  If  I  wanted  to  deliver  a 
prisoner  out  of  Sing  Sing  how  would  I  set  about 
It?  I  might  chloroform  the  guards,  pick  the  lock 
and  bid  the  prisoner  come  out;  but  If  he  did,  would 
he  be  free?  Not  at  all.  There  Is  something 
stronger  than  Iron  bolts  and  bars  and  armed  guards 
that  hold  him,  namely,  the  Law.     He  would  not 


I20       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

even  be  a  "ticket-of-leave  man" ;  for  at  every  step 
the  Law  would  still  be  hounding  him.  Or  suppose 
I  were  to  go  to  the  Governor  and  secure  a  pardon, 
and  presenting  that  pardon  at  the  doorway  of  the 
cell,  bid  the  prisoner  come  out :  would  he  then  be 
free?  Certainly  not  until  he  came  out.  The  one 
thing  vitally  necessary  to  his  freedom  must  be  done 
by  himself  and  by  nobody  else.  He  must  come  out ! 
If  he  declines  to  do  that,  his  pardon  Is  unavailing; 
and,  to  all  Intents  and  purposes,  he  will  remain  a 
prisoner  all  his  days. 

The  conditions  of  salvation  have  been  met  by 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  all  but  one,  namely,  per- 
sonal faith  or  acceptance;  and  that  must  be  met 
by  the  sinner  himself  If  he  would  ever  be  saved 
from  the  bondage  and  penalty  of  sin.  Only  be- 
lieve !  That  Is,  accept  God's  plan  of  salvation  In 
Christ.  Dip  down  Into  the  water  of  life  and  drink 
it!  "He  that  belleveth  hath  eternal  life."  Every- 
thing depends  on  a  man's  saying,  "I  will! 
I  do!" 

I  have  heard  of  a  man  who,  having  captured  an 
eagle,  tethered  it  to  a  stake;  and  it  walked  around 
and  around  until  it  wore  a  pathway.  At  length, 
moved  by  compassion,  he  broke  the  captive's  chain; 
but  habit  was  so  strong  that  It  kept  on  going  around 
and  around  In  the  old  groove.  Of  what  value  was 
freedom  to  It?  But  there  came  a  moment  when  It 
suddenly  seemed  to  realize  that  Its  chain  was 
broken;  then  It  looked  aloft,  spread  Its  wings  and 
mounted  Into  the  air.     So  Is  It  with  the  soul  that 


Whose  Man  Am  I?  121 

falls  In  with  the  divine  plan  of  Redemption;  to 
accept  of  Christ  is  to  leave  the  bondage  of  sin  and 
enter  Into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God! 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE 
GOD-MAN 

HIS   BIRTH 


Mistakes  as  to  parentage. — Mary  was  the  mother. — 
What  of  Joseph? — Who  then  was  the  father  of 
Jesus? — The  God-Man. — The  Foundation  truth. — 
His  character.— His  teaching.— His  work. — The 
Kingdom. — Our  personal  salvation. — A  mystery? 

Mistakes  as  to  parentage. — The  shepherds  who 
first  received  the  annunciation  of  the  Saviour's 
birth  were  told  that  they  would  find  him  "wrapped 
in  swaddling  clothes  and  lying  In  a  manger";  and 
going  in  haste  they  saw  "the  thing  that  had  come 
to  pass."  On  their  return  they  "made  known"  the 
wonderful  event.  When  asked  if  they  had  seen  the 
parents  of  the  Child  they  would  naturally  answer, 
"Yes;  we  saw  them  standing  by  the  manger — a 
carpenter  named  Joseph  and  a  peasant  girl  named 
Mary."  But  that  was  their  mistake.  There  was 
another  in  the  group  at  Bethlehem  whom  they  could 
not  see. 

If  the  people  of  Nazareth  had  been  asked  as  to 
the  parentage  of  Jesus,  they  would  have  made  a 
similar  answer.  He  had  grown  up  among  them. 
They  had  seen  him  in  his  boyhood  playing  about 
the  doorway  of  his  mother's  house.    They  had  seen 

122 


His  Birth  123 

him  In  the  carpenter  shop  of  Joseph  learning  to 
make  plows  and  ox-yokes.  What  would  be  more 
natural  than  for  them  to  say  than  that  he  was  the 
son  of  Joseph  and  Mary?  But  that  was  their 
mistake.  At  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  when, 
returning  from  his  Itinerary  among  the  villages  of 
Galilee,  he  entered  the  synagogue  and  announced 
to  his  townsmen  that  he  was  the  long-looked-for 
Messiah,  they  were  amazed  beyond  measure.  They 
had  heard  rumors  of  his  miracles  and  of  his  won- 
derful preaching,  but  they  were  not  prepared  for 
this  preposterous  claim.  They  were  more  than 
amazed;  they  were  ''scandalized,"  exclaiming,  "Is 
not  this  Jesus  whose  father  and  mother  we  know  ?" 

The  multitudes  who  heard  him  by  the  Lake  of 
Gennesaret  made  the  same  mistake.  On  his  re- 
peating his  claim  to  Messiahship  they  answered, 
"What  doest  thou  for  a  sign,  that  we  see  and  be- 
lieve thee?"  He  answered,  "I  am  the  bread  of 
life !  I  am  come  down  from  Heaven  to  do  the  will 
of  him  that  sent  me ;  and  this  Is  his  will,  that  every 
one  that  beholdeth  the  Son  and  believeth  on  him 
shall  have  eternal  life!"  And  they  murmured, 
saying,  "Is  not  this  Jesus,  the  son  of  Joseph,  whose 
father  and  mother  we  know?" 

The  rejection  of  the  gospel  has  always  been  due 
to  a  misapprehension  respecting  the  parentage  of 
Jesus.  And  this  Is  the  source  and  fountain  of 
nearly  all  the  heresies  which  are  current  In  the 
world  to-day.  The  man  who  begins  his  wrong 
thinking  at  Bethlehem  will  find  himself  Immeasur- 


124       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

ably  farther  away  from  the  truth  when  he  reaches 
Calvary.  This  being  so,  it  is  of  vital  importance 
that  we  should  solve  the  question,  "Who  were  the 
parents  of  Jesus?"  if  we  would  reach  a  right  con- 
clusion as  to  other  questions  which  lie  farther  on. 

Mary  was  the  mother  of  Jesus.  All  are  agreed 
so  far. 

The  whole  world  pays  reverence  to  her  as  the 
"handmaid  of  the  Lord."  Her  song  of  thanksgiv- 
ing is  perpetuated  in  the  service  of  the  universal 
church:  "My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord  and 
my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour.  For  he 
hath  looked  upon  the  low  estate  of  his  bondmaid ! 
For  behold  from  henceforth  all  generations  shall 
call  me  blessed !"  And  all  generations  do  call  her 
"blessed." 

**  O  wondrous  mother,  was  there  ever  joy  like  thine? 
To  thee  it  came,  that  message  from  the  Highest, 
Such  as  to  woman  ne'er  before  descended; 
The  Almighty's  shadowing  wings  thy  soul  o'erspread, 
And  with  thy  life  the  life  of  world's  was  blended  !  " 

But  thoughtful  Christians  call  a  halt  when  the 
song  is  raised,  "Holy  Mary,  mother  of  God,  pray 
for  us !"  We  decline  to  accord  her  a  divine  hom- 
age which  she  herself  would  be  the  first  to  repu- 
diate. Could  she  appear  to-day  in  the  midst  of  her 
devotees,  of  a  certainty  she  would  say  as  the  angel 
did  to  kneeling  John,  "See  that  thou  do  it  not;  for 
I  am  thy  fellow-servant.    Worship  God!" 


His  Birth  125 

Say  of  me  as  the  Heavenly  said,  "Thou  art 

The  blessedest  of  women" — 

Not  holiest  or  noblest — no  high  name 

Whose  height  misplaced  may  pierce  me  like  a  shame 

When  I  sit  meek  in  Heaven ! 


What  of  Joseph?— But  the  question  has  to  do 
also  with  Joseph;  and  here  Is  the  possibility  of  the 
great  mistake.    Was  he  the  father  of  Jesus  or  not? 

In  the  group  at  Bethlehem  he  stands  with  per- 
plexity in  his  eyes.  For  In  the  great  drama  which 
is  being  enacted  he  is,  however  vitally  Interested, 
a  mere  looker-on. 

His  character  Is  written  in  the  brief  monograph, 
"He  was  a  righteous  man."  If  there  must  needs 
be  a  Calendar  of  Saints  by  all  means  let  him  be 
accorded  a  place  In  It.  His  simple  faith,  humility, 
devotion  to  principle  and  acquiescence  In  the  divine 
will  make  him  worthy  of  the  highest  honor  due 
to  mortal  man. 

On  receiving  the  announcement  that  he  had  been 
appointed  to  rest  under  an  Imputation  of  dishonor, 
in  pursuance  of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  he 
''arose  and  did  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord  command- 
ed him."  All  his  life  he  carried  In  his  breast  a 
great  secret  which  the  world  knew  not.  His  neigh- 
bors looked  askance,  hinting  at  a  bar  sinister  on  his 
domestic  shield,  but  he  heeded  them  not.  A  less 
humble,  less  righteous,  less  magnanimous,  less 
consecrated  man  would  have  revolted  against  the 
shameful  Imputations  which  were  passed  upon  him; 


126       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

but  without  a  murmur  he  took  his  assigned  place 
and  filled  It. 

He  was  the  guardian  of  Jesus  in  his  early  years. 
He  watched  over  him,  led  him  to  the  synagogue 
and  the  Levitical  school,  taught  him  as  an  appren- 
tice in  the  carpenter  shop  and  took  him  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  attend  the  annual  feasts.  Doubtless 
he  felt  thankful  for  being  permitted  to  occupy  this 
relation  to  the  supernatural  Boy.  So,  I  say,  if 
there  must  needs  be  a  Calendar  of  Saints  let  us 
thus  revere  him.  But  he  was  not  the  father  of 
Jesus. 

Who,  then,  was  the  father  of  Jesus? — God.  So 
runs  the  record:  "And  the  angel  said  unto  Mary, 
The  Holy  Spirit  shall  come  upon  thee  and  the 
power  of  the  Most  High  shall  overshadow  thee; 
wherefore  also  the  holy  thing  which  is  begotten 
shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God." 

So  run  the  prophesies,  also.  No  sooner  had  man 
sinned  than  the  promise  was  given,  "The  Seed  of 
woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head."  And 
clearer  and  ever  clearer  grow  the  predictions  in  the 
succeeding  pages  of  Scripture:  "Behold,  a  virgin 
shall  conceive  and  bear  a  Son  and  shall  call  his 
name  Immanuel,  which  being  interpreted  Is  'God 
with  us'  " ;  and  again,  "For  unto  us  a  Child  Is  born, 
unto  us  a  Son  Is  given;  and  the  government  shall 
be  upon  his  shoulder  and  his  name  be  called  Won- 
derful, Counsellor,  Mighty  God,  Everlasting 
Father,  Prince  of  Peace.     Of  the  increase  of  his 


His  Birth  127 

government  and  of  peace  there  shall  be  no  end, 
upon  the  throne  of  David  and  upon  his  kingdom^ 
to  establish  it,  and  to  uphold  it  with  justice  and 
with  righteousness  from  henceforth  even  for- 
ever. The  zeal  of  Jehovah  of  hosts  will  per- 
form this." 

And  this,  moreover,  is  the  claim  of  Jesus.  He 
arrogated  to  himself  the  title  of  Messiah,  that  is, 
the  promised  "Seed  of  Woman"  who  was  to  bruise 
the  serpent's  head.  He  assumed  the  Messianic 
title,  "Son  of  God."  He  repeatedly  affirmed  that 
he  was  "the  only-begotten  Son  of  God."  We  are 
all  sons  of  God  by  creation.  Some  are  also  sons 
by  adoption,  as  it  is  written,  "Ye  received  the  spirit 
of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry,  Abba,  Father.  The 
Spirit  himself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit  that 
we  are  children  of  God."  But  in  all  the  history 
of  the  children  of  men  there  is  only  One  of  whom 
it  can  be  said  that  he  was  begotten  of  God.  And 
Jesus  claims  to  be  that  One.  As  such,  all  true  be- 
lievers receive  him.  They  have  seen  "his  glory, 
the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father, 
full  of  grace  and  truth." 

The  God-Man.— This  view  of  the  divine  pater- 
nity of  Jesus  is  necessary  to  the  validity  of  the  gos- 
pel. He  came  into  the  world  to  suffer  and  to  save. 
He  could  only  save  by  suffering;  inasmuch  as  expia- 
tion must  be  made  for  sin.  He  must  be  "very  man" 
in  order  to  suffer;  and  he  must  be  "very  God"  in  or- 
der to  save,  since  his  suffering  must  be  sufficient 


128       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

to  atone  for  the  whole  world's  sin.  He  must  there- 
fore be  both  man  and  God.  He  is  "very  man"  be- 
cause he  was  "of  a  woman  born" ;  he  is  "very  God" 
because  he  was  conceived  by  the  miraculous  over- 
shadowing of  the  Spirit.  His  nature  is  thus 
unique  and  singular.  There  is  in  all  the  universe 
no  other  who  can  be  called  Theanthropos,  that  is, 
God-man.  And,  for  this  reason,  "there  is  none 
other  name  given  under  heaven  among  men  where- 
by we  must  be  saved."  He  only  Is  able,  through 
his  vicarious  passion,  to  save  unto  the  uttermost  all 
who  have  come  unto  him.  And  to  my  mind  it  is 
inconceivable  that  salvation  could  have  been  pro- 
vided for  us  in  any  other  way. 

The  foundation  truth. — The  truth  thus  formu- 
lated as  to  the  parentage  of  Jesus  is  the  primal 
postulate  and  foundation  of  our  rehgion.  For  this 
reason  we  are  accustomed  to  say,  in  our  historic 
creed,  "I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty, 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  in  Jesus  Christ 
his  only  Son,  our  Lord;  who  was  conceived  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary." 

But  what  difference  does  it  make  whether  we 
thus  believe  or  not?  The  "Hberal"  pastor  of  one 
of  our  evangelical  churches  makes  this  statement: 
"I  cannot  see  that  it  makes  any  difference,  so  far 
as  the  practical  application  of  Christianity  is  con- 
cerned, whether  we  believe  that  God  or  Joseph  was 
the  father  of  Jesus."  In  fact,  however,  it  makes 
all  the  difference  in  the  world. 


His  Birth  129 

His  character.— Our  estimate  of  the  character  of 
Christ  depends  upon  it.     He  was  either  what  he 
claimed  to  be  or  he  was  not.     He  claimed,  over 
and  over  again,  to  be  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God.     He   spoke   of   his   pre-existence   with   the 
Father,  and  announced  that  when  his  redemptive 
work  was  finished  he  would  return  to  reassume  "the 
glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the 
world  was."     He  claimed  to  be  the  Messiah,  say- 
ing in  clearest  terms,  "I  that  speak  unto  thee  am 
he!"     He  was  tried  for  blasphemy,  the  charge  be- 
ing that  he  had  made  himself  "equal  with  God." 
The  man  who  presided  at  the  trial  said  to  him, 
"I  adjure  thee,  by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us 
whether  thou  be  the  Christ,  the  son  of  God";  he 
answered,  "Thou  hast  said,"  using  the  strongest 
form  of  affirmation  that  was  possible,  and  added, 
"Hereafter  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  sitting  at 
the    right   hand    of    Power    and    coming    on    the 
clouds    of    heaven!"      He    was    then    and    there 
convicted,  on  his  own  testimony,  of  the  charge  of 
blasphemy ;  and  was  put  to  death  for  making  him- 
self equal  with   God.      If  he  was   not  what  he 
claimed  to  be,  then  he  stands  before  the  world  as 
a  self-convicted  charlatan  and  falsifier.     To  affirm 
that  he  was  a  good  man  and  nothing  more  is  simply 
absurd.     He  was  either  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God,  or  else  he  was  a  false  claimant  to  divine  hon- 
ors,   and   as  such   it   is   difficult   to   see   how   any 
thoughtful  or  self-respecting  man  could  for  a  mo- 
ment believe  in  him. 


I30       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

His  teaching.— The  trustworthiness  of  his  teach- 
ing, also,  depends  upon  the  answer  to  this  question 
respecting  his  parentage.  If  his  affirmations  with 
respect  to  himself  are  discredited,  what  depend- 
ence is  to  be  put  upon  his  presentation  of  the  great 
doctrines  of  the  spiritual  life?  Falsus  in  uno, 
falsiis  in  omnibus  is  an  accepted  rule  in  civil  courts. 
If  the  truth  of  your  witness  is  impugned  at  one 
point,  his  entire  testimony  passes  under  a  cloud. 
If  you  expose  the  duplicity  of  an  explorer  who  says 
that  he  reached  the  summit  of  Mount  McKinley, 
you  naturally  lift  your  eyebrows  when  he  affirms 
that  he  has  discovered  the  North  Pole.  How  pre- 
posterous, then,  for  men  to  insist  on  the  trustworth- 
iness of  the  doctrinal  and  ethical  teachings  of  Jesus 
while  denying  his  repeated  affirmation  that  he  was 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God ! 

His  work.—  The  efficacy  of  his  redemptive  work, 
also,  depends  upon  it.  There  is  a  vital  correlation 
between  the  divine  birth  of  Jesus  and  his  vicarious 
passion.  I  have  heard  of  a  geode,  a  dull-appearing 
stone,  which  when  broken  disclosed  a  mass  of 
crystals  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  So  at 
Bethlehem  we  observe  the  outline  of  the  atonement. 
If  you  deny  the  miraculous  birth  of  Jesus  you  re- 
duce his  redemptive  work  to  nil.  For  It  is  un- 
thinkable that  any  mere  man  could  take  the  bur- 
den of  the  world's  sin  upon  him  and  pay  a  ransom 
for  the  misdeeds  of  all  the  children  of  men. 


His  Birth  131 

The  Kingdom. —  And  the  coming  of  his  King- 
dom depends  upon  it.  We  are  accustomed  to  say 
that  the  Cross  stands  as  the  center  of  history  and 
that  all  civilization  is  explained  by  it;  but  at  the 
foot  of  the  Cross  stands  the  manger.  Here  lies 
the  Son  of  Man  who  is  mighty  to  help;  here  lies 
the  Son  of  God  who  is  able  to  save  unto  the  utter- 
most; here  lies  the  God-man  who  Is  destined  to  be 
King  over  all  and  blessed  forever.  The  armies  of 
all  history  march  around  this  birth-scene.  The 
thrones  of  the  Csesars  totter  in  the  grasp  of  the 
Christ-child,  because  his  arm  Is  "the  arm  of  God 
made  bare."  The  Church  of  the  centuries  kneels 
at  the  manger  to  offer  Its  prayer,  "Thy  Kingdom 
come,"  and  believes  in  the  efficacy  of  that  prayer 
because  the  Christ-child  Is  "Wonderful,  Counsel- 
lor, Mighty  God";  wherefore  the  gates  of  hell 
shall  not  prevail  against  him. 

Our  personal  salvation,  moreover,  depends  upon 
it.  Here  is  the  ladder  by  which  we  ascend  out  of 
sin  into  salvation :  "And  without  controversy  great 
Is  the  mystery  of  Godliness:  God  was  manifest  In 
the  flesh,  justified  In  the  spirit,  seen  of  angels, 
preached  unto  the  Gentiles,  believed  on  In  the 
world,  received  up  into  glory"  (I  Timothy  3  :i6). 
The  foot  of  that  ladder  is  at  Bethlehem  and  its 
summit  is  close  upon  the  throne  of  God. 

A  mystery? — Yes;  great  Is  the  mystery!  As 
the  cherubim  bent  in  reverent  perplexity  over  the 


132       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Ark  of  the  Covenant,  so  do  we  devoutly  ponder  the 
great  truth.     'The  angels  desire  to  look  Into  It!" 

But  what  if  It  be  a  mystery?  Is  that  a  sufficient 
ground  for  rejecting  It?  We  are  compassed  about 
by  mysteries.  We  do  not  Insist  that  a  fact  shall 
be  explained  before  we  accept  It.  All  that  we  can 
reasonably  ask  Is  that  It  shall  not  be  contra-rational. 
In  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  there  Is  nothing 
that  antagonizes  a  single  law  of  human  thought. 
We  confess  that  It  Is  beyond  us.  But  so  are  all 
great  truths,  and  particularly  those  of  the  spiritual 
province.  Faith  Is  "the  evidence  of  things  not 
seen."  We  walk  by  faith,  live  by  faith,  are  saved 
by  faith.  "God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave 
his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  helieveth  on 
him  might  not  perish  but  have  eternal  life."  "He 
that  believeth  on  him  Is  not  judged;  he  that  he- 
lieveth not  hath  been  judged  already,  because  he 
hath  not  believed  on  the  name  of  the  only-begotten 
Son  of  God." 

So  we  reverently  stand  at  the  manger  and 
touch  the  swaddling-bands  of  Jesus,  as  Thomas 
touched  the  scars  of  his  passion,  saying  with  holy 
awe  and  adoration,  "My  Lord  and  my  God!" 


HIS    CHARACTER 


That  righteous  man. — Unique  in  his  birth. — Unique  in 
his  life. — Unique  in  his  death. — Unique  in  his  in- 
fluence.— The  great  question. 

That  rig"hteous  man. — It  is  recorded  that  when 
Jesus  was  on  trial  before  Pilate  a  messenger  ar- 
rived with  a  letter  for  Pilate  from  his  wife,  to  this 
effect: 

"Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  righteous 
man,  for  I  have  suffered  many  things  this  day  In  a 
dream  because  of  him.     Claudia.''^ 

The  probability  is  that  Claudia  had  been  think- 
ing much  of  Jesus;  for  at  this  time  his  singular 
claims  were  being  discussed  by  all.  If  we  gaze  in- 
tently at  any  object  for  a  considerable  time  its 
Image  will  remain  upon  the  retina  after  we  have 
closed  our  eyes.  So  what  was  more  natural  than 
that  Claudia,  after  thus  thinking  of  Jesus,  should 
dream  of  him;  and  what  more  natural  than  that, 
as  a  loving  wife,  she  should  thus  entreat  her  hus- 
band to  refrain  from  wronging  "that  righteous 
man.'^ 

We  are  not  Informed  as  to  the  effect  of  her 
letter.  In  all  probability  her  husband's  first  Impulse 
was  to  exclaim,  "How  like  a  woman!'*     So  little 

133 


134       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

did  she  know  of  the  demands  of  his  office.  He 
would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  "have  nothing  to 
do  with"  Jesus;  but  that  unfortunately  was  out  of 
the  question.  He  could  convict  him  or  he  could 
acquit  him;  but  he  could  not  "have  nothing  to  do 
with  him." 

It  would  appear,  however,  in  the  light  of  subse- 
quent events  that  he  was  not  uninfluenced  by  his 
wife's  appeal.  He  took  advantage  of  every  pos- 
sible subterfuge  to  escape  the  responsibility  thrust 
upon  him;  but  finally,  when  obliged  to  face  the 
issue,  did  it  like  the  coward  that  he  was.  Amid 
the  clamor  of  the  multitude  he  called  for  a  basin 
of  water  and  washing  his  hands,  bade  the  people 
bear  witness  that  he  was  "innocent  of  the  blood  of 
this  righteous  man."  And  then,  casting  the  fright- 
ful die,  he  added,  "Take  ye  him  and  crucify  him." 

The  point  which  I  wish  to  emphasize  is  brought 
out  in  a  single  word,  used  by  Claudia  in  her  letter 
and  repeated  by  Pilate  in  his  protestation  of  inno- 
cence: namely,  the  word  Dikaios,  here  rendered, 
"that  righteous  man." 

The  full  significance  of  the  expression  does  not 
appear  on  the  surface  of  the  narrative.  In  order 
to  understand  it  we  must  go  back  four  hundred 
years  to  Plato,  the  foremost  of  the  Greek  philoso- 
phers, who  in  his  "Republic"  portrayed  an  ideal 
community  not  seen  as  yet  but  likely  to  be  realized 
in  the  Golden  Age.  It  was  the  worthy  citizen  of 
this  Republic  who  was  characterized  as  Dikaios, 
"the  righteous  or  just  man."    The  term  was  used, 


His  Character  135 

in  Its  largest  sense,  to  designate  one  possessed  of 
all  the  manly  virtues  In  harmonious  proportion,  a 
four-square  man,  a  symmetrical  man,  therefore  the 
Ideal  man. 

It  Is  not  affirmed  that  either  Claudia  or  her  hus- 
band was  mindful  of  all  this  when  they  spoke  of 
Jesus  In  that  way;  but  all  the  more  value  is  to  be 
placed  upon  their  tribute  on  that  account.  If  all 
the  glowing  phrases  which  have  been  unintention- 
ally applied  to  Jesus  by  his  enemies  could  be 
gathered  together,  what  a  mass  of  Indirect  evidence 
we  should  have  as  to  the  character  of  that  just 
man ! 

It  is  my  present  purpose  to  show  as  briefly  as 
possible  how  perfectly  the  "righteous  man"  In  the 
judgment  hall  of  Pilate  answers  to  DIkaios  In  the 
Ideal  Republic  of  Plato ;  and  how  conclusively  the 
Inadvertent  testimony  of  the  non-Christian  world 
proves  him  to  be  the  Ideal  man. 

Unique  in  his  birth.— Jesus'  birth  sets  him 
apart,  in  a  singular  manner,  from  all  other  children 
of  men.  Adam  was  created  In  innocency,  without 
spot  or  blemish  until  he  fell.  Not  a  child  of  Adam 
has  ever  since  been  born  without  the  taint  of  hered- 
ity. The  only  exception  is  Christ  who,  for  that 
reason  among  others,  is  called  "the  second  Adam"; 
since  he  Inherited  no  sin.  In  this  he  stands  soli- 
tary and  alone;  the  spotless  Son  of  Man. 

Unique  in  his  life.— His  life,  likewise,  was  with- 
out sin.     He  kept  what  Adam  lost :  his  first  estate. 


136       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

He  faced  the  forbidden  tree  but  did  not  eat 
of  it. 

A  man'3  life  is  expressed  in  two  things,  words 
and  works;  or,  if  you  please,  preaching  and  prac- 
tice. And  the  perfect  life  is  that  in  which  the 
preaching  is  truth  and  the  practice  is  righteousness, 
to  correspond  with  it. 

The  words  of  Jesus  were  truth.  In  his  preach- 
ing he  set  forth  the  great  verities  of  the  spiritual 
life;  and  he  did  this  not  with  an  appeal  to  any 
ulterior  authority  such  as  "Thus  saith  the  Lord," 
but  always  on  his  own  authority,  saying,  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you." 

And  his  character  fitted  into  his  teaching  like 
an  indenture.  Cicero  says  somewhere  that,  after 
an  examination  of  the  philosophers  he  had  arrived 
at  the  conclusion  that,  while  they  had  much  to  say 
about  truth  there  was  not  one  among  them  who 
lived  up  to  it.  But  of  Christ  it  has  been  truly  af- 
firmed that  he  "brought  the  bottom  of  his  life  up 
to  the  top  of  his  light."  His  challenge  was: 
"Which  of  you  convicteth  me  of  sin?"  And  the 
answer  was  in  the  words  of  the  magistrate  who 
sentenced  him  to  death,  "I  find  no  fault  In  him  at 
all." 

The  perfection  of  Jesus,  however,  lay  not  simply 
in  this  negative  sort  of  Innocency  but  In  the  positive 
practice  of  virtue.  His  life  is  written  In  the  brief 
monograph,  "He  went  about  doing  good."  His 
miracles  were  miracles  of  mercy.  He  Is  the  only 
man  who  ever  lived  who  left  the  world  a  little 


His  Character  137 

brighter  and  better  with  every  step  he  took  In  pass- 
ing through  it. 

Unique  in  his  death.— In  his  death,  also,  he 
showed  himself  the  just  man.  The  Cross  Is  the 
world's  supreme  exhibit  of  self-denying  love.  It 
is  written,  ''Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this, 
that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends" — "but 
God  commendeth  his  own  love  toward  us,  in  that, 
while  we  were  yet  sinners,    Christ  died  for  us." 

But  we  cannot  stop  here.  There  Is  no  end  of 
false  and  foolish  sentiment  with  respect  to  the  love 
of  God.  Love  that  does  not  pay  deference  to  Jus- 
tice is  as  meaningless  as  sounding  brass  or  a  tink- 
ling cymbal.  The  only  praiseworthy  love  is  that 
which  joins  hands  with  all  the  other  graces  that 
make  a  man  like  God. 

And  this  Is  the  love  which  was  set  forth  pre- 
eminently on  the  Cross.  The  mission  of  Christ 
was  to  save  sinners.  He  found  them  under  the 
sentence  of  the  law :  "The  soul  that  sinneth  It  shall 
die."  He  could  not  override  that  law;  because, 
whatever  else  he  was  he  must  be  DIkalos,  the 
righteous  man.  But  how,  then,  could  he  save  sin- 
ners? "How  shall  God  be  just  and  yet  the  justi- 
fier  of  the  ungodly?"  It  can  only  be  by  the  pay- 
ment of  a  ransom  that  shall  satisfy  the  law.  For 
this  reason  our  Saviour  "bare  our  sins  In  his  own 
body  on  the  tree."  He  thus  became  "the  end  of 
the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  bellev- 
eth."     He  satisfied  love;  he  satisfied  law  and  truth 


138       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

and  justice.  Satisfaction  and  reconciliation  go  to- 
gether. Thus,  by  the  way  of  the  Cross,  all  who 
believe  may  return  to  God. 

The  righteous  man  did  not  die  like  other  men. 
Here,  as  In  his  birth  and  character,  he  stands  soli- 
tary and  alone.  He  died  not  for  himself  but  vica- 
riously; so  that  multitudes  are  born  of  the  travail 
of  his  soul.  A  host  of  sinners,  going  down  Into 
his  sepulchre  as  ''partakers  of  his  death"  emerge 
triumphantly  with  him  Into  the  kingdom  of  life. 
It  was  with  some  faint  perception  of  this  tremend- 
ous fact  that  the  Infidel  Rousseau  was  moved  to 
exclaim,  "This  Jesus  died  like  a  God!" 

Unique  in  his  influence.— The  Influence  of  Christ 
along  the  centuries  bears  witness  to  him  as  the  Ideal 
man.  He  has  been  the  commanding  figure  In  the 
history  of  the  world.  On  his  triumphal  entiy 
Into  Jerusalem  the  people,  leaning  out  of  their 
doorways  and  looking  from  their  lattices,  asked 
"Who  Is  this?"  The  question  Is  vastly  more  perti- 
nent now :  "Who  Is  this  that  marches  through  his- 
tory with  ever  Increasing  millions  trooping  after 
him?"  Not  believers  only,  but  the  whole  world 
answers,  "This  Is  DIkalos,  the  righteous  man." 

But  this  Is  not  enough.  The  word  Dtka'ws  does 
not  meet  the  case.  The  man  who  stands  thus  soli- 
tary and  alone  among  millions  Is  a  miracle,  an 
Incomprehensible  marvel,  a  problem  so  hopelessly 
Intricate  that  the  Introduction  of  a  divine  factor 
is  required  to  solve  It. 


His  Character  139 

When  Napoleon  was  at  Saint  Helena,  In  the  en- 
forced retirement  that  followed  his  boisterous  cam- 
paigns, he  faced,  with  all  the  powers  of  his  mighty 
intellect,  this  problem  of  the  Unaccountable  Man. 
Not  a  few  of  his  devoted  friends  had  been  carried 
away  on  the  flood-tide  of  infidelity  which  at  that 
time  was  sweeping  everything  before  it.  On  one 
occasion,  when  General  Bertrand  had  been  speak- 
ing of  Jesus  as  a  man  of  commanding  genius,  he 
interrupted  him  to  say,  "I  know  men;  and  I  tell 
you  Jesus  Christ  was  more  than  a  man.  Super- 
ficial minds  see  a  resemblance  between  him  and  the 
founders  of  empires;  but  there  is  the  distance  of 
infinity  between  them.  As  for  me  I  recognize  those 
great  men  as  beings  like  myself;  they  have  per- 
formed their  lofty  parts,  but  there  was  nothing  to 
prove  them  divine.  They  have  had  foibles  which 
ally  them  with  me.  It  is  not  so  with  Christ. 
Everything  in  him  astonishes  me !  His  spirit  over- 
awes me;  his  will  confounds  me;  he  stands  a  being 
by  himself.  His  thoughts  and  principles  are  not 
to  be  explained  by  human  organization  or  the  na- 
ture of  things.  His  birth  and  the  history  of  his 
life,  the  profundity  of  his  doctrine  which  grapples 
with  the  mightiest  difficulties  and  solves  them;  his 
gospel,  his  kingdom,  his  march  across  the  agts; 
these  are  too  deep  a  mystery  for  me !  They  plunge 
me  into  reveries  from  which  I  find  no  escape. 
The  nearer  I  approach  him,  the  more  I  perceive 
that  everything  is  above  me.  At  his  voice  all 
things  return  to  order.    The  soul  conquers  Its  sov- 


140       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

ereignty.  What  a  master  is  this !  With  what  au- 
thority does  he  teach !  Who  will  presume  to  lift 
his  voice  against  an  intrepid  voyager  who  recounts 
the  marvels  of  lands  which  he  alone  has  had  the 
boldness  to  visit?  Christ  is  that  voyager.  I 
search  in  vain  through  history  to  find  his  peer. 
He  died  an  object  of  contempt  and  left  a  Gospel 
which  has  been  called  'the  foolishness  of  the  cross.' 
What  a  mysterious  symbol !  And  what  a  tempest 
it  provoked!  On  the  one  side  all  the  furies;  on 
the  other  gentleness  and  infinite  resignation.  And 
with  what  result?  You  speak  of  Cssar  and  Alex- 
ander, of  their  conquests  and  the  enthusiasm  which 
they  kindled  in  the  hearts  of  their  soldiers;  but  can 
you  conceive  of  a  dead  man  making  conquests  with 
an  army  devoted  to  his  memory?  Can  you  con- 
ceive of  Caesar  from  the  depth  of  his  mausoleum 
watching  ever  the  destinies  of  Rome?  Yet  such 
is  the  history  of  the  Christian  invasion  and  the  con- 
quest of  the  world.  Such  is  the  power  of  the 
Christian's  God !  We  have  founded  empires — 
Caesar  and  Alexander  and  Charlemagne  and  I 
— we  have  founded  empires  upon  force;  but 
Christ  has  founded  an  empire  on  love. 
And  at  this  hour  millions  would  die  for 
him.  What  a  proof  of  his  divinity!  Now 
that  I  am  at  Saint  Helena,  chained  upon  this  rock, 
where  are  my  friends?  My  life  once  shone  with 
a  royal  brilliance;  but  disaster  overtook  me  and 
the  gold  became  dim.  Behold  the  destiny  of  him 
whom  the  world  calls  Napoleon  the  Great !   What 


^  His  Character  141 

an  abyss  between  my  misery  and  the  eternal  reign 
of  Christ  I"  For  a  moment  the  exiled  emperor  was 
silent  and  then,  with  a  broken  voice,  he  added, 
*'My  friends,  If  you  do  not  perceive  that  Jesus 
Christ  Is  God,  I  did  wrong  to  place  you  In  com- 
mand of  my  army."  ^ 

To  my  mind  this  reasoning  Is  sound.  In  con- 
ceding that  Jesus  was  "the  just  man,"  with  all  that 
It  Involves,  we  have  gone  so  far  that,  by  the  ne- 
cessities of  sound  reason,  we  are  bound  to  go 
farther  and  pronounce  him  what  he  claimed  to  be, 
the  veritable  Son  of  God. 

This  was  his  claim.  He  called  himself  "the 
Son  of  Man,"  a  term  generally  understood  as  re- 
ferring to  the  long-looked-for  Messiah.  He  called 
himself,  also,  with  equal  emphasis,  "the  Son  of 
God";  and  more  than  that,  "the  only-begotten  Son 
of  God";  that  Is,  so  to  speak,  bone  of  God's  bone 
and  flesh  of  his  flesh,  and  therefore  his  very  equal. 
He  claimed  a  singular  union  with  God,  saying, 
"I  and  my  Father  are  one."  How  could  he  be  only 
a  good  man?  If  he  were  no  more  than  that,  then 
his  enemies  were  right  In  aflirming  that  he  was 
guilty  of  blasphemy  and  deserved  to  die. 

The  great  question  Is  before  us:  What  think 
ye  of  this  Jesus?  He  sits  In  the  place  of  judgment 
as  he  sat  at  Gabbatha  before  Pilate  that  day. 
What  shall  be  done  with  him?     The   Scripture 

^  The  words  of  Napoleon  have  here  been  abbreviated,  but  with  no 
essential  change. 


142       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

says  that  he  was  what  he  claimed  to  be.  History 
records  his  triumphs  and  forces  the  Inquiry,  "Were 
these  the  doings  of  a  man  among  men?"  The 
Church  on  earth  unites  with  the  Innumerable  host 
of  heaven  In  the  song:  "Fairer  Is  he  than  all  the 
fair  among  the  sons  of  men."  But  what  say  you? 
The  centurion  who  had  charge  of  the  crucifixion 
was  moved  to  confess,  after  witnessing  the  great 
tragedy,  "Verily,  this  was  a  righteous  man!"  The 
word  he  used  was  the  familiar  Dikaios.  But  this 
did  not  satisfy  him.  The  great  problem  was  strug- 
gling In  his  breast.  As  he  rode  away  from  Cal- 
vary the  shadows  of  night  were  gathering  and 
lights  were  kindling  in  the  homes  of  Jerusalem. 
Looking  backward  he  saw  the  dark  effigy  of  the 
cross  against  the  sky.  Then  came  the  sober  second 
thought.  The  truth  like  a  sunburst  smote  upon 
him.  This  Jesus  was  more  than  the  just  man! 
And  in  the  deep  conviction  of  his  soul  he  gave  ut- 
terance to  the  only  possible  solution  of  the  greatest 
of  all  problems:  "Verily,  this  was  the  Son  of 
God!'' 


HIS   INAUGURAL    SERMON 


Two  manifestoes. — Not  a  sermon  for  all. — Not  a  gospel 
sermon. — Not  a  foundation  sermon. — Not  a  sum- 
mary.— Not  a  sermon  of  salvation. — Two  infer- 
ences. 

Two  manifestoes. — There  have  been  two  occa- 
sions in  history  when  great  political  manifestoes 
were  issued  under  the  direct  authority  of  God. 

One  of  these  was  when  the  children  of  Israel 
were  encamped  at  Sinai.  They  had  just  been  de- 
livered from  the  house  of  their  bondage.  It  was  a 
mob  of  fugitive  slaves  that  thronged  forth  in  mad 
disorder  with  the  footfall  of  a  pursuing  army  be- 
hind them.  God's  purpose  was  to  organize  this 
mob  into  a  nation;  and  with  this  in  view  he  led 
them  to  Sinai,  where  they  encamped  for  a  year. 
He  there  gave  them  their  Constitution,  an  elabo- 
rate Code  of  Laws.  The  nucleus  of  that  Code  is 
the  Decalogue,  the  most  notable  of  all  ethical  sym- 
bols; which  has  furnished  the  basic  principles  of 
the  jurisprudence  of  civilized  nations  all  along  the 
ages.  The  camp  was  then  broken  up,  and  for 
thirt}^-nine  years  the  people  wandered  in  the  wilder- 
ness, learning  in  the  school  of  experience  and  de- 
veloping slowly  in  civil  life  and  character.    At  the 

143 


144       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

end  of  that  period,  when  they  crossed  the  Jordan 
Into  the  land  prepared  for  their  occupancy,  they 
were  a  full-fledged  nation,  with  three  well-defined 
branches  of  government,  to  wit:  Legislative,  Ju- 
dicial and  Executive,  and  with  a  standing  army  so 
well  marshaled  and  mobilized  that  the  enemy  was 
scattered  before  It  as  chaff  from  the  threshing 
floor.  This  government,  theocratic  In  form,  was 
Ideally  perfect,  and,  apart  from  its  standing  army, 
Is  destined  to  be  realized  again  in  the  Golden  Age. 

The  other  occasion  referred  to  was  when  Christ 
gathered  his  disciples  at  Olivet  and  preached  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  His  thirty  years  of  prepa- 
ration were  over  and  his  ministry  was  now  begin- 
ning. He  was  about  to  set  up  his  Kingdom,  which 
was  simply  a  revival  of  the  old  economy  with  an 
omission  of  its  temporary  factors  and  a  new  em- 
phasis put  upon  its  essential  principles.  In  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  we  have  the  Constitution 
and  By-laws  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ:  a  Kingdom 
which  Is  to  continue  with  ever-enlarging  borders 
until  It  extends  "where'er  the  sun  doth  his  succes- 
sive journeys  run." 

As  to  the  eloquence,  moral  power  and  pre-emi- 
nent value  of  this  Sermon  there  is  no  difference  of 
opinion.  Its  praises  are  sung  enthusiastically  even 
by  those  who  are  at  odds  with  the  religion  of 
Christ.  In  all  quarters  the  most  glowing  words 
of  commendation  are  lavished  upon  it. 

But  there  Is  a  grave  misunderstanding  in  many 
quarters  as  to  its  character  and  intent.     If  it  were 


His  Inaugural  Sermon  145 

more  clearly  understood  It  might  not  be  so  gener- 
ally eulogized.  My  present  purpose  Is  to  Indicate 
what  I  believe  to  be  some  serious  and  more  or  less 
prevalent  mistakes  about  It. 

Not  a  sermon  for  all. —  It  Is  a  mistake  to  speak 
of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  "everybody's  ser- 
mon." 

It  was  addressed  distinctly  to  the  disciples ;  as  it 
Is  written,  "And  when  he  was  set,  his  disciples 
came  unto  him;  and  he  opened  his  mouth  and 
taught  them,  saying."  In  this  respect  It  Is  like  the 
sacerdotal  prayer  of  Jesus  recorded  In  John  17. 
As  a  rule  the  prayers  of  Jesus  were  comprehensive 
in  their  scope;  but  In  that  particular  prayer  he  was 
thinking  of  his  disciples  only,  as  he  said,  "I  pray 
for  them :  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  those 
whom  thou  hast  given  me."  In  like  manner,  many 
of  the  sermons  of  Jesus  were  addressed  to  the  mul- 
titude; but  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  which  was 
to  furnish  forth  the  ruling  principles  of  his  King- 
dom, was  for  those  only  who  were  In  hearty  ac- 
cord with  him  in  the  setting  up  of  that  Kingdom 
on  earth. 

This  was  the  Inaugural  Address  of  the  King. 
It  was  a  pronouncement  of  the  rules  and  regula- 
tions which  were  to  control  the  Hves  of  his  sub- 
jects. For  this  reason  It  began  very  properly  with 
the  Beatitudes,  in  which  the  characteristics  of  citi- 
zenship are  set  forth;  namely,  poverty  of  spirit, 
meekness  and  mercy,  noble  aspiration,  pureness  of 


146       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

heart,  peaceableness  and  patience  in  suffering  for 
the  truth's  sake.  To  such  citizens  as  these  and  to 
such  only  he  said,  "Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth; 
but  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  savor  wherewith  shall 
it  be  salted?  It  is  thenceforth  good  for  nothing 
but  to  be  cast  out  and  to  be  trodden  under  foot 
of  men."  And  again,  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the 
world.  A  city  that  is  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid. 
Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may 
see  your  good  works  and  glorify  your  Father." 

Not  a  gospel  sermon. — It  is  a  mistake  to  char- 
acterize the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  a  "gospel 
sermon." 

It  is,  on  the  contrary,  distinctly  a  Law  sermon. 
Its  deliverance  is  a  clear  and  far-reaching  echo  of 
the  deliverance  of  Sinai.  "I  am  come,"  said  Jesus, 
"not  to  destroy  the  law,  but  to  fulfill  it."  It  places 
a  startling  emphasis  on  the  Ten  Commandments; 
and  therein  it  is  searching  as  fire  and  penetrating 
as  acid.  Listen  to  this:  "Ye  have  heard  that  it 
was  said  by  them  of  old-time,  Thou  shalt  not  kill; 
but  I  say  unto  you  that  whosoever  is  angry  with 
his  brother  without  a  cause  shall  be  in  danger  of 
the  judgment."  And  listen  to  this:  "Ye  have 
heard  how  it  was  said  by  them  of  old-time.  Thou 
shalt  not  commit  adultery ;  but  I  say  unto  you  that 
a  lustful  look  hath  in  it  the  sinfulness  of  an  overt 
act,"  Observe  the  severity  of  these  additional 
words,  "If  thy  right  eye  causeth  thee  to  stumble, 
pluck  it  out  and  cast  it  from  thee;  and  if  thy  right 


His  Inaugural  Sermon  147 

hand  causeth  thee  to  stumble,  cut  it  off  and  cast  It 
from  thee;  for  It  Is  profitable  for  thee  that  one  of 
thy  members  should  perish  and  not  thy  whole  body 
go  Into  hell." 

It  Is  perfectly  clear  that  In  this  Sermon  there  Is 
no  relief  from  the  severity  of  the  Moral  Law,  but 
rather  an  added  force.  The  disciples  of  Christ,  as 
citizens  of  the  Kingdom  are  enjoined  to  perfect 
obedience.  They  are  to  journey  by  a  narrow  way 
and  enter  through  a  strait  gate.  The  standard 
erected  here  Is  nothing  less  than  perfection.  "Not 
every  one  that  salth  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord!  shall 
enter  Into  the  kingdom ;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will 
of  my  Father.  Be  ye,  therefore,  perfect,  even  as 
your  Father  which  Is  In  heaven  Is  perfect."  In 
case  of  default,  provision  Is  elsewhere  made  for 
pardon;  but  the  rule  of  conduct  here  laid  down  Is 
rigid  obedience.  This  Is  the  freedom  with  which 
the  Son  makes  free.  True  freedom  is  perfect  obe- 
dience to  perfect  law.  This  is  the  franchise  of  the 
Kingdom;  "the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God." 

Not  a  foundation  sermon. —  It  Is  a  mistake  to 
speak  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  a  "founda- 
tion sermon." 

It  Is  rather  a  superstructural  sermon.  The 
foundations  of  the  Kingdom  or  of  the  Church, 
which  Is  the  great  organism  through  which  God  is 
working  for  the  establishment  of  his  Kingdom  on 
earth,  is  laid  not  in  a  moral  code  but  in  a  creed. 


148       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

At  the  time  when  Peter  made  his  good  confession, 
"Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God," 
our  Lord  said  of  it,  "On  this  rock  will  I  build  my 
Church;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it."  In  other  words,  the  foundation  of 
the  Church  of  Christ  is  faith  in  him.  His  King- 
dom is  made  up  of  those  who  are  entitled  to  citi- 
zenship by  reason  of  the  fact  that  they  have  ac- 
cepted him  as  Priest  to  make  atonement  for  their 
sins,  as  Prophet  to  instruct  them  in  the  great  veri- 
ties of  the  spiritual  life,  and  as  King  to  defend  and 
rule  over  them.  Thus,  "the  Church's  one  founda- 
tion is  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  distinctly  an  ethi- 
cal symbol;  wherefore  it  can  be  only  superstruc- 
tural;  since  works  are  the  fruit  of  faith  expressed 
in  conduct  and  character.  It  was  singularly  ap- 
propriate, for  this  reason,  that  the  great  Sermon 
which  was  intended  as  a  rule  of  conduct  for  the 
disciples  of  Christ  should  end  in  this  wise :  "There- 
fore, whosoever  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine  and 
doeth  them,  I  will  liken  him  unto  a  wise  man 
which  built  his  house  upon  a  rock;  and  the  rain  de- 
scended, and  the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew 
and  beat  upon  that  house;  and  it  fell  not,  for  it 
was  founded  upon  a  rock.  And  every  one  that 
heareth  these  sayings  of  mine  and  doeth  them  not, 
shall  be  likened  unto  a  foolish  man  which  built  his 
house  upon  the  sand;  and  the  rain  descended,  and 
the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew  and  beat  upon 
that  house ;  and  it  fell,  and  great  was  the  fall  of  it." 


His  Inaugural  Sermon  149 

Not  a  summary.— It  Is  a  mistake  to  regard  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  a  summary  of  the  teach- 
ings of  Christ. 

It  Is,  indeed,  a  mere  fragment  of  his  teaching, 
by  no  means  to  be  considered  as  exhausting  the 
demand  which  his  gospel  makes  upon  us.  On 
April  30th,  1798,  Washington  entered  on  his  first 
administration  as  President  of  the  United  States. 
In  front  of  the  national  building  on  the  corner  of 
Wall  and  Nassau  streets  in  New  York  he  deliv- 
ered his  Inaugural  address,  which,  as  all  agree,  was 
full  of  sound  political  sense.  But  to  intimate  that 
his  address  on  that  occasion  contained  all  that  was 
necessary  for  the  political  welfare  of  our  country, 
so  that  the  Constitution,  the  enactments  of  Con- 
gress and  decisions  of  Courts  are  entirely  negli- 
gible, would  be  to  say  a  very  fooHsh  thing.  So, 
without  minimizing  the  splendid  significance  of 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  we  Insist  that  it  does 
not  furnish  an  exhaustive  and  conclusive  statement 
of  the  religion  of  Christ. 

It  must  be  taken  In  connection  with  his  other 
teachings;  for  example,  his  conversation  with  Nic- 
odemus  in  which  he  said,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you.  Except  one  be  born  anew  he  cannot  see 
the  kingdom  of  God";  and  also,  "He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  is  not  judged:  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  Is  judged  already,  because  he  hath 
not  believed  on  the  name  of  the  only-begotten 
Son  of  God."  It  must  be  taken  In  connection  with 
his  denunciation  of  the  Pharisees,  "Woe  unto  you, 


150       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

hypocrites;  who  make  long  prayers  at  the  corner 
of  the  streets  and  devour  widows'  houses;  ye  are 
as  whited  sepulchres,  fair  without,  but  within  full 
of  dead  men's  bones  and  all  uncleanness.  How 
shall  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell?"  It  must 
be  taken  in  connection  with  his  farewell  address 
in  the  upper  room,  wherein  he  said,  ''He  that  hath 
seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father.  How  sayest  thou 
then.  Show  us  the  Father?  Believest  thou  not  that 
I  am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me?"  It 
must  be  taken  in  connection  with  the  great  com- 
mission which  he  gave  his  disciples  on  the  Mount 
of  Ascension:  "All  power  is  given  unto  me  in 
heaven  and  on  earth.  Go  ye  therefore  and  evan- 
gelize: and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway."  The  first 
word  and  the  last  word  and  every  word  of  Jesus 
must  be  received  by  those  who  are  loyal  to  him. 
It  will  not  answer  to  take  a  mere  fraction  of  his 
teaching  and  build  our  faith  upon  it. 

Not  a  sermon  of  salvation. —  The  greatest  mis- 
take of  all  is  made  by  those  who  regard  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount  as  a  sermon  of  salvation. 

It  was  not  so  intended,  inasmuch  as  it  was  ad- 
dressed to  those  who  were  already  saved  by  the 
grace  of  God.  You  will  find  here  no  reference  to 
the  cross,  or  to  justifying  faith  or  to  the  blood  that 
cleanseth  from  sin.  The  moment  a  man  accepts 
Christ  he  is  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  the 
Law  by  coming  into  perfect  accord  with  it.  The 
man  who  would  live  under  the  Law  must  keep 


His  Inaugural  Sermon  151 

It 5  for  If  he  break  It  he  will  die  under  It.  "By 
the  deeds  of  the  Law,  therefore,  shall  no  flesh  be 
justified."  There  is  no  justification  except  by  the 
free  grace  of  God. 

Two  inferences. — Two  things  follow  from  the 
foregoing  considerations:  the  first  is  that  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount  does  not  contain  all  the  truth 
which  must  enter  Into  the  fabric  of  the  Church. 
Here  is  where  Ian  Maclaren  errs,  In  his  "Mind 
of  the  Master,"  where  he  says,  "No  Church  since 
the  early  centuries  has  had  the  courage  to  formu- 
late an  ethical  creed,  for  even  those  bodies  of 
Christians  which  have  no  written  theological  creed 
yet  have  Implicit  afiirmations  or  denial  of  doctrine 
as  their  basis.  But  Imagine  a  body  of  Christians 
who  should  take  their  stand  on  this  sermon  of 
Jesus  and  construct  their  creed  on  his  lines.  Imag- 
ine how  It  would  read:  'I  believe  In  the  Father- 
hood of  God;  I  believe  in  the  words  of  Jesus;  I 
believe  In  the  clean  heart;  I  believe  In  the  un- 
worldly hfe;  I  believe  In  the  Beatitudes;  I  promise 
to  trust  God  and  to  follow  Christ;  to  forgive  my 
enemies  and  to  seek  after  the  righteousness  of 
God.'  Could  any  form  of  words  be  more  ele- 
vating, more  persuasive  or  more  alluring?  Do 
they  not  thrill  the  heart  and  strengthen  the  con- 
science? Liberty  of  thought  Is  allowed;  liberty 
of  sinning  Is  alone  denied.  Who  would  refuse  to 
sign  this  creed?  They  would  come  from  the  East 
and  the  West  and  the  North  and  the  South  to 


152       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

its  call;  and  even  they  who  would  hesitate  to 
bind  themselves  to  a  crusade  so  arduous  would 
admire  it  and  long  to  be  worthy."  Granted! 
But  when  they  came  together  these  people  would 
not  constitute  a  Christian  Church ;  for  they  would 
not  have  subscribed  to  the  fundamental  principles 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Their  "ethical  creed" 
would  be  no  creed  at  all.  An  ethical  creed  is  a  dis- 
tinct contradiction  of  terms.  A  creed  of  beliefs  is 
one  thing  and  a  code  of  ethics  is  quite  another 
thing.  They  do  run  in  parallel  lines.  They  com- 
plement and  supplement  each  other;  but  it  is 
foolish  and  preposterous  to  confuse  them.  It  Is 
enough  to  say  of  an  "ethical  creed"  that  it  saves 
nobody  because  it  has  no  color  of  redeeming  blood 
upon  it. 

The  final  inference  is  that  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  was  not  intended  to  be  and  is  not  a  suffi- 
cient guide  for  sinners  seeking  the  way  of  spiritual 
life.  If  we  are  ever  saved  it  will  not  be  on  ac- 
count of  personal  merit  but  wholly  by  reason  of 
what  Christ  has  done  for  us.  We  may  learn  a 
lesson  from  the  simple  words  that  once  fell  from 
the  lips  of  a  peasant  child  who  was  led  Into  the 
audience  room  at  Windsor  Court.  She  stood  for 
a  while  in  silent  awe,  her  eyes  dazzled  by  the 
magnificence  of  gold  and  purple  on  every  side, 
and  then  quaintly  repeated  the  verse: 

"Jesus,  thy  blood  and  righteousness 
My  beauty  are,  my  glorious  dress: 
'Mid  flaming  worlds,  In  these  arrayed, 
With  joy  shall  I  lift  up  my  head." 


His  Inaugural  Sermon  153 

The  only  work  that  commends  a  sinner  to  the 
divine  favor  Is  that  which  Christ  himself  indicated 
when  he  said,  "This  Is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye 
believe  in  him  whom  God  hath  sent."  If  we  are 
ever  saved,  therefore,  it  will  not  be  by  the  rules 
of  conduct  which  are  laid  down  In  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  but  by  that  fundamental  rule  of  faith 
which  precedes  It,  *'He  that  belleveth  on  the  Son 
hath  everlasting  life."  Wherefore  sinners  are 
directed  not  to  Olivet  but  to  Calvary,  where  Christ 
bare  our  sins  In  his  own  body  on  the  tree. 


HIS    TEACHING 


The  Teacher.— The  test.— Into  court.— The  Teacher^s 
claim. — The  documents. — Oral  testimony. — Per- 
sonal experience. — Summing  up. 

The  Teacher. — One  of  the  greatest  discourses  of 
Christ,  in  which  he  clearly  stated  the  authority  of 
his  teaching,  was  that  given  in  the  seventh  chapter 
of  John's  Gospel.  He  was  speaking  in  the  Porch 
of  the  Temple  to  a  company  of  people  divided  in 
opinion  concerning  him.  There  were  some  who 
believed  that  his  teaching  was  true  and  that  he 
w^as  what  he  claimed  to  be.  There  were  others, 
including  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  were  so 
opposed  to  him  that  they  were  even  then  plotting 
his  death.  The  Teacher  himself  put  the  case 
calmly  and  dispassionately  before  them,  on  this 
wise:  "If  any  man  willeth  to  do  His  will,  he  shall 
know  of  the  teaching,  whether  It  Is  of  God." 

The  Teaching  had  to  do  distinctively  with  the 
way  of  Salvation.  The  method  of  the  Teacher  was 
exclusive;  that  is,  he  ruled  out  all  other  plans  of 
salvation  and  Insisted  that  his  was  the  only  way. 
It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  there  was  a  dif- 
ference of  opinion  among  his  hearers,  or  that  there 
Is  such  a  difference  at  this  day.  The  question  In- 
volved Is  of  vital  Importance.     If  the  Teaching  be 

154 


His  Teaching  155 

true,  It  Is  absolutely  and  exclusively  true;  If  false, 
then  the  believers  of  the  past  have  walked  In  a 
dream ;  they  that  have  fallen  asleep  In  Christ  have 
perished,  and  we  are  like  drowning  men  grasping 
at  straws.  Then  the  Church  Is  a  masterpiece  of 
folly,  Christendom  a  blot  on  the  map  of  the  world, 
the  progress  of  these  nineteen  centuries  a  phosphor- 
escent gleam  In  the  blackness  of  darkness,  life  a 
labyrinth  without  a  clew,  and  death  a  plunge  Into 
an  unbroken  night.  But  If  the  Teaching  be  true, 
what  then?  All  other  systems  of  so-called  religion 
and  philosophy  are  false,  skepticism  Is  blindness, 
indifference  Is  a  fatal  mistake,  and  the  rejection  of 
Christ  Is  the  unpardonable  sin. 

The  test  proposed  by  the  Teacher  as  to  his 
Teaching  is  an  eminently  fair  one.  It  is  In  fact 
a  proposition  to  submit  the  question  to  a  jury.  The 
sole  qualification  of  service  on  this  jury  is  that  a 
man  shall  be  "willing  to  do  God's  will,"  that  is, 
he  must  be  in  accord  with  the  mind  of  God.  As 
God  is  truth,  this  is  equivalent  to  saying  that  he 
must  be  willing  to  see  the  truth  and  follow  it.  He 
must  disabuse  his  mind  of  prejudice.  One  who  Is 
self-opinionated  is  never  willing  to  do  the  divine 
will.  One  must  be  ready  to  go  wherever  the  evi- 
dence leads  him.  It  was  one  of  the  wise  sayings 
of  Aristotle  that  "the  mind's  eye  is  not  capable  of 
right  judgment  unless  It  be  virtuous,"  that  is,  un- 
less It  be  In  line  with  truth,  which  is  the  mind  of 
God. 


156       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Into  court. — It  Is  our  present  purpose  to  bring 
the  Teaching  Into  court  In  pursuance  of  this  propo- 
sition of  the  Teacher,  and  submit  the  evidence  to 
a  jury  of  fair-minded  men.  The  one  thing  neces- 
sary is  that  which  apphes  in  the  empanehng  of  any 
jury;  to  wit,  the  decks  shall  be  cleared  of  preju- 
dice. Otherwise,  to  proceed  with  the  argument 
would  be  as  hopeless  as  was  Galileo's  attempt  to 
prove  the  existence  of  the  moons  of  Jupiter  to  a 
body  of  inquisitors,  who  refused  to  look  through 
his  telescope  for  fear  they  should  have  no  case 
against  him. 

We  want  a  jury  of  "honest  doubters."  Let  there 
be  no  mistake  at  this  point,  however,  for  many  a 
man  who  thinks  himself  an  "honest  doubter"  is  in 
fact  a  stubborn  unbeliever.  It  has  been  said  that 
"doubt  is  the  agony  of  a  noble  soul  or  the  frivolity 
of  a  fool."  An  honest  doubter  Is  one  who,  realiz- 
ing the  importance  of  the  issue,  rests  not  day  nor 
night  until  he  arrives  at  the  truth  concerning  it. 
He  puts  away  all  preconceptions  and,  with  a  clear 
conscience  and  a  single  purpose,  addresses  himself 
to  the  problem  in  hand.  He  seeks  no  neutral 
ground.  As  to  the  Teacher  and  his  Teaching,  he 
perceives  that  there  is  only  one  alternative;  either 
to  receive  Christ  at  his  word,  in  which  case  he  will 
forthwith  close  In  with  his  overtures  and  devote 
his  life  to  him;  or  else  to  reject  him  outright  as  a 
self-deluded  fanatic  or  a  willful  Impostor,  un- 
worthy of  faith  or  confidence.  "How  long  go  ye 
limping    between    the    two    sides?      If    Jehovah 


His  Teaching 


157 


be   God,    follow  him;   but   if  Baal,    then    follow 
him." 

Is  the  reader  thus  prepared  to  canvass  the  evi- 
dence? Is  his  mind  free  from  bias  and  open  to 
conviction?  If  not,  he  is  peremptorily  challenged; 
because  no  amount  of  knowledge  or  scholarship 
can  entitle  him  to  pass  upon  the  merits  of  the  case. 
If,  however,  he  is  sure  of  his  willingness  to  do  the 
will  of  God  in  the  serious  quest  of  truth,  he  is  com- 
petent to  hear  the  evidence  which  Is  now  to  be  sub- 
mitted and  to  pass  upon  it. 

The  Teacher's  claim.— It  will  be  proper  to  enter 
the  claim  of  the  Teacher  himself  as  to  the  Teach- 
ing. 

He  says  that  he  came  from  the  glory  which  he 
had  with  the  Father  before  the  world  was,  to  suffer 
and  die  vicariously  in  the  behalf  of  sinful  men,  to 
the  end  that  salvation  might  be  assured  to  all  who 
believe  In  him. 

This  claim  must  stand  upon  its  own  merits.  It 
Is  not  enough  to  reply,  as  the  Pharisees  did,  that 
the  Teacher  Is  a  mere  carpenter,  unfamiliar  with 
the  terminology  of  the  schools.  What  difference 
does  that  make,  if  the  Teaching  be  true?  It  is  re- 
lated of  John  Williams,  of  Raratonga,  that,  hear- 
ing on  one  of  his  missionary  tours  that  an  attack 
was  meditated  upon  his  home,  he  sent  a  message 
in  all  haste.  Not  having  any  writing  materials  at 
hand,  he  wrote  with  charcoal  on  a  chip  the  word 
*'Danger!"  and  sent  It  by  a  swift  runner  to  his 


158       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

wife.  Was  not  that  warning  as  true  and  valid  as 
If  It  had  been  embossed  on  parchment?  So,  here, 
the  question  as  to  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  must  be 
determined  on  Its  own  merits ;  and  with  this  under- 
standing It  Is  offered  as  evidence  In  the  case. 

The  documents. — We  desire  to  enter,  also,  a 
mass  of  documentary  evidence  of  three  sorts,  to 
wit: 

Exhibit  A.— The  Bible. 

And,  though  we  believe  the  Bible  to  be  Inspired 
and  therefore  true  from  beginning  to  end,  we  do 
not  for  the  moment  Insist  on  that  view,  but  are 
willing  to  waive  It.  All  that  we  ask  Is  that  the 
Bible  shall  be  regarded  Avith  the  same  respect  as 
other  ^'literature."  It  consists  of  two  volumes; 
one  of  which,  the  Old  Testament,  is  full  of  the 
testimony  of  prophets  who  were  looking  forward 
to  the  coming  of  Christ;  and  the  other,  the  New 
Testament,  of  the  testimony  of  the  apostles  con- 
cerning Him.  These  apostles  profess  to  have  been 
eye-witnesses  of  the  Incidents  which  they  relate  and 
to  have  heard  the  Teachings  from  the  lips  of  the 
Teacher  himself.  "That  which  we  have  heard, 
that  which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  that  which 
we  beheld,  and  our  hands  handled,  concerning  the 
word  of  life  (and  the  life  was  manifested,  and  we 
have  seen,  and  bear  witness,  and  declare  unto  you 
the  life,  the  eternal  life,  which  was  with  the  Father, 
and  was  manifested  unto  us)  :  that  which  we  have 
seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you  also." 


His  Teaching  159 

Exhibit  B. — A  vast  number  of  Depositions, 
made  by  witnesses  along  a  period  of  nineteen  hun- 
dred years;  consisting  of  Creeds,  Confessions  and 
apologetic  writings  of  various  sorts. 

In  these  are  embraced  the  controversies  of  the 
ages.  The  witnesses  who  bear  this  testimony  are 
entitled  to  a  respectful  hearing  as  to  the  Teaching, 
because  In  many  cases  they  adventured  their  lives 
upon  the  truth  of  It.  Here  are  the  "noble  army 
of  martyrs"  who  faced  the  sword  and  fagot  fires 
and  the  lions  of  the  amphitheatre  in  defence  of 
their  faith.  'They  were  stoned,  they  were  sawn 
asunder,  they  were  tempted,  they  were  slain  with 
the  sword ;  they  went  about  In  sheepskins.  In  goat- 
skins; being  destitute,  afflicted,  Ill-treated,"  for  the 
truth's  sake.  All  of  these  testify  with  one  voice, 
"We  believe  that  the  Teaching  Is  true  and  that 
Christ  was  what  he  claimed  to  be." 

Exhibit  C. — The  entire  history  of  the  Christian 
Era ;  not  only  that  written  by  Christians  but  by  un- 
believers as  well. 

It  Is  our  purpose  to  present  In  this  body  of  his- 
tory a  corroboration  of  the  statement  of  Christ 
that  his  Teaching  was  to  be  like  leaven,  put  into 
dough  and  destined  to  leaven  the  whole  lump.  It 
Is  a  singular  fact,  which  must  be  accounted  for  in 
some  way,  that  the  progress  of  civilization  during 
these  centuries  has  been  along  the  line  of  the  Teach- 
ing of  Christ.  The  civilization  of  the  world  is 
embraced  in  a  charmed  circle  called  "Christen- 
dom" after  his  name.     If  you  draw  that  circle  on 


i6o       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

a  map  you  will  shut  out  barbarism  and  darkness, 
and  you  will  find  you  have  shut  In  light  and  liberty 
and  humanity.  It  thus  appears  that  the  leaven  has 
been  doing  Its  work.  The  Teaching  has  been  like 
the  torch  In  the  hand  of  Milton's  Angel  of  the 
Morning";  as  It  has  come  down  along  the  ages, 
institutions  of  light  and  freedom  and  humanity 
have  sprung  up  along  Its  way. 

Oral  testimony. — We  are  now  prepared  to  sum- 
mon living  witnesses  to  the  truth  of  the  Teaching. 
How  many?  *'At  the  mouth  of  two  witnesses  or 
three  every  word  may  be  established."  Are  there 
*'two  or  three"  to  certify  to  the  Teaching?  Are 
there  a  hundred,  a  thousand,  a  million?  Nay, 
there  are  hundreds  of  millions,  from  every  known 
kindred  and  nation,  people  and  tribe.  Was  there 
ever  such  an  array  of  witnesses  In  any  court?  And 
all  tell  the  same  story  of  faith  In  the  Teacher  and 
his  Teaching.  One  by  one  they  say,  "This  poor 
man  cried,  and  Jehovah  heard  him  and  saved  him 
out  of  all  his  troubles."  They  say  with  one  ac- 
cord, "I  was  under  conviction  of  sin,  and  he  blotted 
out  my  sins."  They  say,  *'I  have  tried  the  Teach- 
ing and  found  it  a  strong  stajff  to  lean  on:  and  I 
have  tried  the  Teacher,  and  found  him  to  be  a  very 
present  help  In  time  of  trouble."  They  say,  "I 
know  him  whom  I  have  believed  and  that  he  is 
able  to  guard  that  which  I  have  committed  unto 
him  against  that  day." 

It  is  quite  in  order  for  any  juror  to  cross-examine 


His  Teaching  i6i 

these  witnesses.  The  fact  that  many  of  them  are 
common  people,  unaccustomed  to  forensic  usages, 
will  not  exempt  them. 

Question:  You  say  you  are  a  Christian? 

Answer:  I  am. 

Q. — What  do  you  mean  by  It? 

A. — That  I  am  a  disciple  of  Christ  and  am  try- 
ing to  follow  him. 

Q. — What  Is  your  creed? 

A. — The  Teaching  of  Christ. 

Q. — What  Is  your  code  of  morals? 

A. — The  Teaching  of  Christ. 

Q. — What  Is  your  hope  of  Immortality? 

A. — The  Teaching  of  Christ. 

O. — Who  Is  this  Christ? 

A. — The  Teacher  sent  from  God. 

Q. — What  Is  this  Teaching? 

A. — It  Is  the  sum  and  substance  of  all  truth 
bearing  on  the  spiritual  life. 

Q. — ^What  has  Christ  done  for  you? 

A. — He  has  pardoned  my  sins. 

Q. — How  do  you  know  It? 

A. — I  have  the  witness  of  his  Spirit  with  my 
spirit  that  I  am  born  of  God. 

Q. — Do  you  think  yourself  perfect? 

A, — By  no  means;  but  I  follow  on  If  that  I  may 
be  apprehended  of  him. 

O. — What  Is  your  religion? 

A, — To  carry  out  the  Teaching  in  my  daily  hfe. 
Q. — How  highly  do  you  value  the  Teaching? 

J, — I  would  die  rather  than  give  It  up. 


1 62       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

What  Is  to  be  said  in  answer  to  the  testimony 
of  this  great  cloud  of  witnesses?  The  obvious 
thing  to  do  Is  to  Impugn  their  character  and  so 
break  down  their  credlblhty  If  possible.  Are  they 
people  of  bad  character  as  compared  with  others? 
Are  they  "vile  fellows  of  the  rabble"?  Oh,  no. 
It  is  conceded  that  no  Christian  is  what  he  ought 
to  be;  but,  taking  Christians  by  and  large,  they  are 
the  best  people  In  the  world.  The  converts  in  a 
mid-African  missionary  station  will  compare  fa- 
vorably with  their  pagan  neighbors.  Or,  to  come 
nearer  home,  take  your  stand  on  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  select  the  first  thousand  Christians 
from  among  the  passers-by  and  then  a  thousand 
non-Christians  at  random;  hne  them  up  and  let  a 
just  comparison  be  made  between  them.  We  will 
abide  the  issue.  It  was  by  such  comparison  that 
Alexander  Pope,  himself  an  unbeliever,  was  moved 
to  make  this  historic  definition,  "A  Christian  is  the 
highest  style  of  man." 

It  Is  because  of  the  general  Impression  that  the 
highest  standard  of  conduct  is  set  forth  in  the 
Teaching  of  Christ  that  men  point  their  fingers  at 
every  Christian  who  goes  wrong.  Why  is  not  at- 
tention called  to  an  Infidel  who  violates  the  laws  of 
common  honesty?  Because  the  expected  has  hap- 
pened. When  a  follower  of  Christ  goes  wrong,  he 
is  pilloried  because  the  world.  Instructed  in  the  eth- 
ics of  the  Teaching,  had  reason  to  expect  better 
things  of  him. 


His  Teaching  163 

Personal  experience.— It  remains  to  suggest  one 
further  test  of  the  Teaching;  to  wit,  personal  ex- 
perience. 

A  farmer  in  Dakota,  In  defending  his  claim,  af- 
firmed that  under  his  title  the  eastern  line  of  his 
farm  was  "six  hundred  paces  from  the  creek  to  a 
certain  boulder."  The  jury,  being  in  doubt,  asked 
the  magistrate  to  be  permitted  to  see  for  them- 
selves; whereupon  they  visited  the  farm  and  paced 
the  eastern  line  and  satisfied  themselves  in  that  way. 
This  is  precisely  the  plan  proposed  for  testing  the 
Teaching.     "Come  and  see." 

In  one  of  Peter's  epistles,  he  says,  "For  we  did 
not  follow  cunningly  devised  fables  when  we  made 
known  unto  you  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  but  we  were  eye-witnesses  of  his  maj- 
esty. For  he  received  from  God  the  Father  honor 
and  glory,  when  there  was  borne  such  a  voice  to 
him  by  the  Majestic  Glory,  This  is  my  beloved 
Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased;  and  this  voice 
we  ourselves  heard  borne  out  of  heaven,  when  we 
were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount."  Thus  far  we 
have  apostolic  testimony.  He  proceeds,  "We  have 
the  word  of  prophecy,  made  more  sure"  (the  refer- 
ence here  is  to  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment) "whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as 
unto  a  lamp  shining  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day 
dawn,"  (here  follows  the  test  of  experience)  "and 
the  Daystar  arise  in  your  hearts." 

We  are  like  wanderers  in  the  night.    Voices  are 


164       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

heard  about  us,  saying,  "This  Is  the  Way:  walk  ye 
in  It."  Better  still  the  Bible  Is  given  "as  a  lantern 
shining  In  a  dark  place."  When  we  personally  ex- 
perience the  saving  power  of  Christ,  the  light  of 
the  morning  shines  Into  our  faces,  and  as  the  day- 
star  is  outshone  by  the  sun  our  perplexity  Is  gone 
forever.  Thus  personal  experience  adds  final  con- 
firmation to  Scripture  and  oral  testimony;  and  cer- 
tainty takes  the  place  of  hope. 

"Oh,  taste  and  see  that  Jehovah  is  good!"  It 
is  a  true  saying,  "He  that  belleveth  on  the  Son  of 
God  hath  the  witness  In  him."  All  voices,  human 
and  divine,  are  ineffective  until  by  vital  appropria- 
tion we  make  the  gospel  an  Indwelling  fact.  Then 
we  know  that  Jesus  Christ  hath  power  on  earth  to 
forgive  sins.  Then  we,  becoming  witnesses  our- 
selves, are  prepared  to  testify  that  his  love  affords 
an  easement  of  all  pain  and  sorrow.  Then  we  feel 
his  friendship  as  the  great  incentive  to  spiritual 
growth  and  usefulness.  The  truth  Is  put  beyond 
all  doubt  or  peradventure  when  "the  Daystar  arises 
in  our  hearts." 

Is  it  not  reasonable  that  a  man,  assuming  him 
to  be  unprejudiced,  should  put  the  Teaching  to  this 
test?  We  are  all  alike  sensible  of  sin;  and,  aside 
from  the  Teaching  of  Christ,  there  is  no  way  of 
salvation.  We  are  like  that  woman  in  Capernaum 
who,  having  an  issue  of  blood  which  was  pro- 
nounced to  be  incurable,  and  hearing  that  Jesus 
was  in  the  city,  said  within  herself,  "If  I  do  but 
touch  his  garment,  I  shall  be  made  whole."     She 


His  Teaching  165 

forced  her  way  through  the  press,  touched  the  hem 
of  his  garment  and  felt  that  her  malady  had  gone 
from  her.  As  she  was  going  her  way  Jesus  said, 
''Who  Is  It  that  touched  me?"  And  the  woman, 
"trembling,  fell  down  before  him  and  told  him 
all."  She  told  him  the  pathetic  story  of  her  vain 
consultation  with  other  physicians,  on  whom  she 
had  wasted  all  her  substance,  and  how  In  her  de- 
spair she  had  come  to  him.  And  he  sald,^  "Daugh- 
ter, thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole;  go  In  peace." 
Is  It  not  In  line  with  common  reason  that  any  one 
In  a  similar  case  should  do  likewise  ?  If  there  Is  no 
other  way  of  escaping  from  the  record  of  the  mis- 
lived  past  and  from  the  bondage  of  evil  habit,  why 
not  come  to  him  whose  blood  cleanseth  from  all 
sin,  and  whose  truth  makes  men  free  ? 

A  woman  of  Samaria,  going  out  to  draw  water, 
met  and  talked  with  Jesus,  who  was  sitting  weary 
on  the  curb  of  the  well.  She  presently  left  her 
water-pot  and  came  running  Into  the  city,  saying  to 
her  friends  and  neighbors,  "I  went  out  to  draw  wa- 
ter at  Jacob's  well,  and  there  I  met  a  wayfarer  who 
spake  to  me  as  never  man  spake."  "Come,  see  a 
man  who  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did;  can 
this  be  the  Christ?"  They  followed  her  back  to 
the  well  and  listened  to  Jesus.  They  besought  him 
to  be  their  guest;  and  he  abode  there  two  days,  and 
many  believed  on  him.  And  they  said  to  the 
woman,  "Now  we  believe,  not  because  of  thy  speak- 
ing, for  we  have  heard  for  ourselves  and  know 
that  this   Is   Indeed  the   Saviour  of  the   world." 


1 66       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Thus,  in  the  last  reduction,  a  man  is  savingly  con- 
vinced by  personal  experience,  when  he  can  say, 
*'I  have  met  Christ,  have  made  his  acquaintance, 
have  reasoned  vi^ith  him  by  the  way  and  have 
learned  to  love  him." 

Summing  up. — The  case  is  thus  presented  to  our 
jury  of  fair-minded  men;  and,  as  in  similar  cases, 
the  call  is  for  decision  here  and  now.  The  claim 
of  the  Teacher  as  to  the  truth  of  the  Teaching  is 
true  or  it  is  not  true.  The  verdict  is  called  for.  Let 
there  be  no  "hung  jury."  Proven  or  not  proven? 
That  is  the  question.  If  the  evidence  is  conclu- 
sive, there  is  only  one  thing  to  do;  to  wit,  Accept 
Christ  and  follow  him. 

We  shall  have  no  further  evidence  bearing  upon 
the  truth  of  the  Teaching  until  we  see  the  Teacher 
In  the  brightness  of  his  heavenly  glory.  The  Day- 
star  itself  will  fade  in  the  brightness  of  that  high 
noon.  Here  we  see  as  in  a  glass  darkly,  but  there 
we  shall  see  face  to  face.  We  shall  behold  the 
King  in  his  beauty,  and  "we  shall  be  like  him,  for 
we  shall  see  him  as  he  is." 

A  native  convert  in  the  South  Sea  Islands  gave 
this  testimony :  "I  listened  to  the  missionary  when 
he  spoke  of  sin,  and  he  and  I  were  like  two  canoes 
going  side  by  side.  Then  he  spoke  of  the  way  of 
salvation,  and  I  dropped  behind — mast  broken  and 
sail  blown  away — while  he  sped  on.  The  sea  drove 
me  on  a  barren  coast,  where  I  lay  helpless  for  a 
time.     Then  I  arose  in  the  blackness  of  darkness, 


His  Teaching  167 

and  felt  my  way  like  one  groping  along  the  wall. 
At  length  1  seemed  to  touch  a  door;  I  pushed  for 
my  life;  it  flew  open,  and  I  beheld  Him  with  the 
glory  shining  in  His  face!" 

The  evidence  as  to  the  Teaching  Is  before  us. 
Let  us  use  the  light  we  have  and  live  up  to  It.  Let 
us  follow  the  gleam  of  the  Scriptures,  listen  to  the 
voices  of  eye-witnesses  and  heed  the  testimony  of 
our  own  hearts.  Llere  Is  the  secret  of  peace  and 
moral  earnestness.  And  In  due  time  the  shadows 
will  flee  away  and  our  path  will  be  as  the  shining 
light  which  shineth  more  ana  more  unto  the  per- 
fect day. 


HIS   SOCIAL   ETHICS 


The  law  of  Christ. — A  complex  law. — Kinship  in  the 
law. — The  new  note. — Sharing  with  Christ. — 
Christ  under  the  yoke. — ^A  law  for  all  men. 

The  'law  of  Christ"  as  laid  down  by  Paul  is 
usually  regarded  as  Identical  with  the  Golden  Rule, 
which  James  called  "the  royal  law,"  saying,  "If 
ye  fulfill  the  royal  law,  according  to  the  Scripture, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do 
well."     But  they  are  not  identical,  as  we  shall  see. 

Here  is  Paul's  code  as  given  in  Galatians  6:2-5: 

"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and  so  fulfill 
the  law  of  Christ. 

"For  if  a  man  thinketh  himself  to  be  something, 
when  he  is  nothing,  he  deceiveth  himself. 

"But  let  each  man  prove  his  own  work,  and  then 
shall  he  have  his  glorying  in  regard  of  himself 
alone  and  not  of  his  neighbor. 

"For  each  man  shall  bear  his  own  burden." 

The  advice  of  Paul  on  this  occasion  was  called 
forth  by  a  controversy  which  was  going  on  in  the 
Galatian  churches.  The  question  at  issue  was  about 
the  laws  binding  on  them  as  followers  of  Christ. 
Some  said  that  the  Moral  Law  as  set  forth  in  the 
Ten  Commandments  was  enough;  but  there  were 
others  who  insisted  that  as  Christians  they  were 

168 


His  Social  Ethics  169 

still  under  the  Law  of  Ordinances;  that  the  rites 
and  ceremonies  prescribed  under  the  Levltlcal 
economy  were  as  Imperious  as  ever.  To  all  alike 
the  apostle  says,  *'If  you  want  laws,  here  Is  one 
that  shall  suffice  for  all;  to  wit,  the  Law  of  Christ, 
'Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,'  That  will  keep 
you  busy,  if  you  suitably  observe  it." 

A  complex  law.— At  first  glance  the  law  thus 
enunciated  looks  simple  enough;  but  scarcely  has 
Paul  uttered  it  before  he  gives  us  to  understand 
that  it  Is  really  a  most  complex  and  comprehensive 
scheme  of  life. 

The  first  sign  of  this  complexity  appears  in  the 
paradoxical  statement  that  ''Each  man  shall  bear 
his  own  burden^ 

This  Is  the  law  of  nature.  Every  man  must  bear 
his  own  burden  because  he  cannot  help  it.  He  is 
born  alone  and  must  endure  for  himself  the  ills 
that  human  flesh  is  heir  to.  He  suffers  the  lonely 
aches  and  pains  of  childhood  and,  farther  on,  must 
meet  his  foes  single  handed  and  weep  his  own  bit- 
ter tears.  At  last  he  passes  alone  through  the  little 
wicket  gate  and  stands  to  answer  for  himself  alone 
at  the  judgment  bar  of  God. 

I  dreamed  a  dream,  long  years  ago,  In  which  I 
seemed  to  be  In  a  shadowy  world  where  ghostly 
figures  were  passing  before  me;  and  all  bore  bur- 
dens. Some  tried  to  walk  erect  and  manfully  bear 
up,  while  others  groaned  and  bowed  low;  but  all 
alike  were  burden-bearers.     It  was  a  true  vision. 


170       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

This  is  the  common  lot.     The  only  question  Is, 
How  shall  we  bear  up  ? 

There  are  those  who  face  the  Inevitable  with 
stoical  fortitude,  like  an  Indian  bound  to  the  stake, 
who  smiles  while  the  flames  curl  about  him.  Oth- 
ers suffer  submissively,  because  "what  can't  be 
cured  must  be  endured"  or  because  they  believe  in 
Providence  and  can  say,  "It  Is  the  Lord;  he  doeth 
all  things  well."  But  there  are  others  still  who 
carry  their  burden  with  Christian  faith,  like  Paul, 
who  cried,  "We  rejoice  in  our  tribulations;  know- 
ing that  tribulation  worketh  steadfastness;  and 
steadfastness,  approvedness ;  and  approvedness, 
hope:  and  hope  putteth  not  to  shame;  because  the 
love  of  God  hath  been  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  which  was  given  unto  us." 

Kinship  in  the  law. —  The  next  item  In  the  anal- 
ysis of  this  law  Is  In  the  words,  ''''Bear  ye  one  an- 
other's burdens.^' 

This  is  the  law  of  society.  A  pot-hunter  In  pur- 
suit of  game  carries  his  own  gun,  because  there  Is 
no  one  to  carry  It  for  him.  To  all  Intents  and 
purposes  he  Is  a  barbarian;  the  rule  of  his  business 
being  "Look  out  for  number  one." 

But  suppose  that  same  man  Is  enlisted  in  a  com- 
pany keeping  step  along  a  hot  and  dusty  road. 
Borne  down  by  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day,  he 
reels  and  staggers.  A  voice  beside  him  cries,  "You 
are  faint,  comrade!  Give  me  your  gun  and  your 
knapsack;  I'll  carry  them  for  you."     That  Is  sym- 


His  Social  Ethics  171 

pathy,  the  fruit  of  fellowship  and  the  noblest  thing 
in  human  nature.  It  is  only  when  men  draw  near 
to  each  other  in  social  bonds  that  voices  are  heard 
calling,  "Lend  a  hand!" 

And  just  here  we  note  one  of  the  clear  distinc- 
tions between  man  and  the  lower  orders  of  life. 
How  much  better  is  a  man  than  a  horse?  If  two 
horses  be  harnessed  together  it  is  only  because  they 
will  carry  a  heavier  load  that  way.  If  one  falls  in 
the  traces  his  mate  casts  no  eye  of  sympathy  upon 
him,  but  stolidly  trudges  on.  But  if  two  men  be 
yoked  together  it  is  not  simply  by  reason  of  the 
fact  that  they  can  thus  carry  a  heavier  burden,  but 
that  they  can  carry  it  more  easily  because  of  sym- 
pathy: as  it  is  written,  "Two  are  better  than  one; 
because  they  have  a  good  reward  for  their  labor. 
For  if  they  fall,  the  one  will  lift  up  his  fellow." 

The  ground  of  this  social  law  is  in  the  fact 
that  we  are  "made  of  one  blood."  The  word 
"kindness,"  in  its  primitive  form,  is  kinned-ness. 
We  are  all  kinsfolk;  because  we  are  children  of 
the  same  God. 

And  here  lies  the  foundation  of  Government. 
The  ancient  symbol  of  Government  was  a  lame  man 
carried  on  the  shoulders  of  a  blind  man,  one  being 
legs  to  the  other  and  the  other  eyes  to  him.  Bar- 
barism says,  "I  care  for  nobody,  no,  not  I,  and  no- 
body cares  for  me."  Civilization  says,  "I  care  for 
everybody,  and  I  expect  everybody  to  care  for  me." 
The  most  visible  sign  of  Government  is  taxation; 
because  it  represents  the  interdependency  of  the 


172       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

units  in  a  commonwealth.  The  wards  of  society 
must  be  protected  and  cared  for;  the  wealth  of  the 
self-supporting  must  be  taxed  for  the  support  of 
the  weak.  In  other  words,  every  man  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  other  man. 

The  new  note.— The  third  element  in  the  analy- 
sis of  the  Law  under  consideration  is  this:  The 
hearing  of  the  other  man^s  burden  is  a  normal  part 
of  my  own  burden. 

And  this  is  the  Law  of  Christ.  He  said,  "A  new 
commandment  I  give  unto  you;  that  ye  love  one 
another  even  as  I  have  loved  you."  In  what  sense 
can  this  be  called  a  new  commandment?  He  had 
already  summarized  the  whole  moral  law  in  two 
precepts,  namely :  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  great  and  first  com- 
mandment. And  the  second  like  unto  it  is  this. 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.'^  The 
old  commandment  is,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself";  but  a  distinct  advance  is  made  by 
Christ  when  he  says  to  his  disciples,  "Ye  shall  love 
one  another  even  as  I  have  loved  you." 

How  did  Jesus  love  them?  Did  he  love  them 
as  he  loved  himself?  No,  he  never  thought  of 
himself,  in  his  consuming  love  for  them.  His 
spirit  was  one  of  utter  self-forgetfulness,  self- 
abnegation,  self-sacrifice.  There  was  only  one  man 
in  the  world  whom  Christ  ever  forgot,  and  that 
was  Jesus  of  Nazareth.    He  remembered  all  others 


His  Social  Ethics  173 

and  loved  them  so  utterly  that  he  gave  himself  for 
them.  Wherefore  those  who  follow  Christ  are 
under  bonds  to  love  others  more  than  they  love 
themselves. 

Sacrifice  is  the  keynote  of  the  Christian  life. 
Sacrifice  is  sanguinary;  the  redness  of  blood  is  upon 
it.  He  who  would  fulfill  the  royal  law  of  Christ 
must  therefore  bear  the  other  man's  burden  until 
he  feels  it.  He  must  "give  until  it  hurts" ;  he  must 
love  until  he  bleeds;  he  must  present  himself  ''a 
living  sacrifice,"  for  Jesus'  sake,  in  the  behalf  of  his 
fellow-men.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  Master's 
words,  "If  any  man  would  come  after  me,  let  him 
deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me." 

Sharing  with  Christ.— The  fourth  of  the  constit- 
uent elements  in  this  Law  may  be  expressed  on  this 
wise:  He  who  thus  hears  the  burden  of  others, 
hears  a  part  of  the  burden  of  Christ. 

This  is  the  law  of  the  Church  as  laid  down  by 
Christ.  It  is  set  forth  in  that  singular  statement 
of  Paul's  where  he  says,  writing  from  a  prison 
where  he  languished  in  bonds  and  aflllctlon,  "I  re- 
joice in  my  sufferings  for  your  sake  and  fill  up  on 
my  part  that  which  is  lacking  of  the  afflictions  of 
Christ  In  my  flesh  for  his  body's  sake,  which  is  the 
Church;  whereof  I  was  made  a  minister  according 
to  the  dispensation  of  God." 

But  what  is  that  which  is  "lacking  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  Christ"?  Did  he  not  suffer  all,  and  once 
for  all?    Is  not  redemption  fully  accomplished  by 


174       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

the  tragedy  of  the  Cross?  What  then  can  be 
''lacking"  for  us  to  fill  up? 

It  Is  true  that  the  Cross  stands  for  a  full  and 
complete  expiation  of  human  sin.  No  mortal  man 
can  help  Christ  to  bear  his  cross.  He  nowhere 
asks  It.  He  does  not  say,  "If  any  man  would  come 
after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  take  up  my  cross 
and  follow  me" ;  but  "Let  him  take  up  his  cross." 
We  cannot  enter  Into  partnership  with  him  In  his 
vicarious  pain.  We  cannot  bear  the  slightest  part 
of  It.  On  his  way  to  Calvary  he  paused  at  the  Gar- 
den of  Gethsemane  and,  as  he  entered  the  shadow 
of  the  olive  trees,  said  to  his  chosen  disciples, 
"Sit  ye  here,  while  I  go  yonder";  and  he  passed 
"yonder"  Into  the  darker  shadow,  where  all  alone 
he  pressed  the  purple  cup  of  death  to  his  lips;  as  it 
had  been  written  of  him,  "I  have  trodden  the  wine- 
press alone  and  of  the  peoples  there  was  no  man 
with  me."  And  at  the  conclusion  of  the  three  hours 
of  mortal  anguish  on  the  cross  he  cried,  "It  Is  fin- 
ished!" so  signifying  that  nothing  remains  to  be 
done  for  the  expiation  of  the  world's  sin. 

But  there  Is  still  somewhat  "lacking"  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ  for  us  to  fulfill.  There  is  work  to 
be  done  In  which  we  can  co-operate  with  him.  It 
is  nineteen  hundred  years  since  he  tasted  death  for 
every  man,  and  there  are  still  twelve  hundred  mil- 
lions of  people  who  have  either  never  heard  of  the 
gospel  or  care  nothing  about  It.  The  burden  of 
the  unsaved  multitude  is  still  upon  the  heart  of 


His  Social  Ethics  175 

Christ;  and  It  Is  for  us  to  help  him  bear  it.  That 
which  Is  "lacking"  Is  the  bringing  of  the  world  to 
God.  Did  he  weep,  saying,  "O  Jerusalem,  Jeru- 
salem, that  kllleth  the  prophets,  and  stoneth  them 
that  are  sent  unto  her!  how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gath- 
ereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 
not"?  "Did  Christ  o'er  sinners  weep  and  shall 
our  tears  be  dry?"  Hear  his  word:  "Go  out  Into 
the  highways  and  hedges  and  constrain  them  to 
come  In !" 

And  this  Is  his  yoke.  He  bears  his  cross  alone, 
but  his  yoke  he  shares  with  us.  "Take  my  yoke 
upon  you,"  he  says:  "Help  me  to  carry  the  burden 
of  a  sin-strlcken  world  back  to  truth  and  righteous- 
ness! Lend  a  hand  In  the  reaping  of  the  yellow 
harvest  of  souls !  My  yoke  Is  your  yoke :  I  leave 
It  behind  that  ye  may  carry  It  with  me."  This  Is 
the  work  of  the  Church;  and  this  Is  the  work  of 
every  true  Christian  who  Is  a  member  of  It.  Oh, 
how  much  remains  of  the  work  of  the  Master  for 
us  to  do ! 

Christ  under  the  Yoke.— And  there  Is  a  fifth 
fact  which  must  be  taken  Into  consideration  In  our 
analysis  of  this  law,  to  wit:  The  yoke  is  easy  and 
the  burden  is  light. 

The  yoke  Is  easy  because  It  Is  always  for  two. 
The  burden  Is  light  because  he  helps  us  carry  It. 
If  ever  it  seems  heavy  let  me  remember  that  just 


176       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

beside  me,  under  the  other  half  of  my  yoke,  Is  my 
Lord.  I  never  toll  alone;  it  is  always  Christ 
and  I. 

A  farmer  driving  home  from  market  overtook  a 
weary  traveler  with  a  pack  on  his  shoulders,  bow- 
ing under  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day.  "Will 
you  give  me  a  lift?'*  said  the  weary  man.  The 
farmer  assented  and  the  traveler  climbed  in  behind 
him.  As  he  drove  on,  chancing  to  look  behind  him, 
he  saw  that  the  traveler's  burden  was  still  on  his 
back.  "Why  don't  you  lay  It  down  and  rest?" 
asked  he.  "It  Is  enough,"  replied  the  foolish  man, 
"that  you  should  carry  me  without  carrying  my 
burden,  too." 

And  thus  we  journey  heavenward,  making  our 
yoke  hard  and  our  burden  heavy,  because  we  forget 
that  for  Christ  to  carry  us  is  no  easier  than  to  carry 
our  burden  with  us.  Unload,  my  friend,  and  learn 
the  comfort  of  perfect  trust.  Get  so  far  into  ac- 
cord with  the  Spirit  of  Christ  that  you  shall  be  able 
to  sing: 

"How  gentle  God's  commands, 
How  kind  his  precepts  are! 
Come,  cast  your  burdens  on  the  Lord 
And  trust  his  constant  care. 

"His  goodness  stands  approved, 
Unchanged  from  day  to  day; 
I'll  drop  my  burden  at  his  feet 
And  bear  a  song  away." 


His  Social  Ethics  177 

A  law  for  all  men. — So  runs  the  blessed  Law 
of  Christ.  It  was  Intended  for  all;  not  for  Chris- 
tians only,  but  for  everybody  In  this  world  of  ours. 
It  was  designed  to  be  as  comprehensive  as  the  law 
of  gravity  which  so  prevails  In  the  natural  uni- 
verse that  the  rolling  sun  and  the  planets  and  every 
particle  of  matter  are  under  its  sway.  But  the 
Law  of  Christ,  unlike  the  law  of  gravity,  was 
made  for  men  and  women  created  In  the  likeness 
of  a  sovereign  God  and  therefore  with  sovereign 
wills  that  can  challenge  the  Law  and  disobey  It. 
For  this  reason  you  and  I  must  each  for  himself 
determine  whether  he  v/ill  come  under  Its  control 
or  not. 

But  for  those  who  profess  to  follow  Christ  there 
is  no  option  In  these  premises.  We  are  In  covenant 
bonds;  and  this  Is  the  very  touchstone  of  disciple- 
ship.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  presence  of 
certain  metals  can  be  determined  by  the  various 
colors  v/hlch  they  emit.  The  Christian  life  is  in 
like  manner  attested  by  obedience  to  the  Law  of 
Christ,  as  he  said:  "By  this  shall  all  men  know 
that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to 
another." 

And  here  is  also  the  secret  of  a  happy  Christian 
life.  Our  Lord,  when  he  entered  upon  his  earthly 
m-Inlstry,  came  joyously  under  the  control  of  this 
royal  law;  as  It  is  written,  "\Vho  for  the  joy  that 
v/as  set  before  him  endured  the  cross,  despising 
shame,  and  hath  sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  throne  of  God."     In  like  manner  the  Chris- 


178       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

tian  who  yields  himself  with  a  cordial  abandon 
to  the  sway  of  this  Law  finds  the  true  happiness 
of  life  here  and  an  abundant  entrance  into  the  life 
eternal.  Wherefore,  let  the  mind  that  was  in 
Christ  Jesus  be  also  in  you. 

He  who  thus  follows  Christ  is  no  longer  an  alien 
from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel  and  a  stranger 
to  the  covenants  of  promise,  but  is  become  an  en- 
franchised citizen  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 


HIS   SACERDOTAL    PRAYER 


Christ  in  prayer. — The  prayer  of  the  upper  room. — 
That  his  disciples  may  be  kept. — Sanctified. — Uni- 
fied.— Glorified. — A  limited  prayer. — All  may  be 
included. 

Christ  in  prayer.—  No  man  ever  prayed  as  Jesus 
did.  He  was  in  such  vital  communion  with  the 
Father  that  prayer  was,  as  we  say,  "second  nature" 
to  him.  Nay,  rather  it  was  first  nature  to  him. 
He  knew  how  to  commune  with  God. 

On  one  occasion,  being  overheard  by  his  dis- 
ciples who  perceived  that  he  was  possessed  of  a 
secret  unknown  to  them,  they  said  "Lord,  teach 
us  to  pray."  His  answer  was,  "After  this  manner 
pray  ye:  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  Hal- 
lowed be  thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy 
will  be  done,  as  in  heaven,  so  on  earth.  Give  us 
this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our 
debts,  as  we  also  have  forgiven  our  debtors.  And 
bring  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
the  evil  one." 

We  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  this  as  "the 
Lord's  prayer."  It  was,  however,  not  the  Lord's 
prayer  at  all  but  our  prayer.  It  was  indeed  a 
prayer  in  which  he  himself  could  scarcely  join; 
because  his  relation  with  the  Father  was  quite  dif- 
ferent from  ours.     He  nowhere  includes  himself 

179 


i8o       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

in  the  same  sort  of  filiation  as  ours,  since  he  was 
"the  only-begotten  Son."  The  real  Lord's  Prayer 
is  that  which  is  recorded  in  the  seventeenth  chap- 
ter of  John.  This  is  a  prayer  which  none  but 
he  could  make;  which  no  mortal  man  could  offer 
without  such  a  measure  of  presumption  as  would 
amount  to  blasphemy  against  God. 

The  prayer  of  the  upper  room. —  It  is  to  this 
sacerdotal  prayer  that  our  thought  is  now  directed : 
"These  things  spake  Jesus,  and  Hfting  up  his  eyes 
to  heaven,  he  said.  Father,  the  hour  is  come." 

It  was  the  last  night  of  his  sojourn  on  earth.  He 
was  meeting  with  his  disciples  for  the  last  time  in 
the  upper  room.  He  had  preached  his  last  ser- 
mon to  them;  had  instituted  the  last  supper;  had 
[jlven  them  his  last  bequest,  saying,  "Peace  I  leave 
^vith  you ;  my  peace  I  give  unto  you" :  and  now  he 
makes  his  last  prayer  for  them. 

"I  pray  not  for  the  world,"  he  says,  "but  for 
those  whom  thou  hast  given  me."  And  then  he 
proceeds  to  ask  four  things  in  their  behalf;  and 
in  our  behalf,  also,  for  he  distinctly  makes  men- 
tion of  "them  also  that  believe  on  me  through  their 
word."  Thus  his  great  prayer  includes  all  true 
Christians  to  the  end  of  time.  In  these  four  pe- 
titions we  have  a  summary  of  all  that  makes  hfe 
worth  living  or  heaven  worth  longing  for. 

That  his  disciples  may  be  kept.— "Holy  Father," 
he  prays,  "keep  them  in  thy  name  which  thou  hast 


His  Sacerdotal  Prayer  i8i 

given  me.  .  .  .  T  pray  not  that  thou  shouldcst 
take  them  from  the  world,  but  that  thou  shouldest 
keep  them  from  the  evil  one." 

He  had  himself  been  sent  into  the  world  to  ac- 
complish a  definite  task,  and  he  was  not  to  depart 
out  of  the  world  until  he  could  say,  "I  have  accom- 
plished the  work  which  thou  hast  given  me  to  do." 
As  the  Father  had  sent  him  into  the  world,  so  had 
he  sent  his  disciples  into  the  very  thick  of  its  toil 
and  conflict  to  remain  there  until  their  work  was 
accomplished.  In  the  meantime  he  said,  "Whither 
I  go  ye  cannot  come;"  but  in  due  time,  having  been 
faithful,  they  were  to  follow  him. 

He  foresaw  the  trials  and  persecutions  that 
awaited  them.  The  sword  was  being  sharpened; 
the  fagots  were  being  kindled  for  them;  he  heard 
the  roaring  of  the  lions  in  the  amphitheatre.  In 
that  company  in  the  upper  room  was  James,  who 
was  presently  to  be  slain  with  the  sword ;  and  most 
of  the  others,  if  not  all,  were  destined  to  climb 
"the  steep  ascent  of  heaven  through  peril,  toil  and 
pain."  He  did  not  pray  that  they  might  be  kept 
alive.  For  life  is  not  worth  living  when  faith  and 
honor  die.  His  desire  was  that  they  might  be 
kept  faithful  unto  death. 

He  foresaw  also  the  divers  temptations  that 
awaited  them;  temptations  to  turn  aside  from  the 
straight  path  of  righteousness  into  the  by-ways  of 
sin :  temptations  to  swerve  from  their  loyalty  to 
truth  into  the  easy  follies  of  unbelief.  For  false 
teachers  were  to  "creep  in"  among  them,  whose 


1 82       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

clever  presentations  of  error  were  calculated  to  de- 
ceive the  very  elect.  He  did  not  pray  that  they 
might  not  be  exposed  to  these  temptations;  but 
that,  being  so  exposed,  they  might  be  kept  from 
wandering  into  sin  and  unbelief. 

Oh,  how  much  this  prayer  of  the  Master  is 
needed  to-day!  We  are  living  in  a  very  cyclone  of 
controversy,  and  in  constant  danger  of  being  swept 
away  from  our  moorings  by  adverse  winds.  There 
is  not  a  single  fundamental  truth  of  the  gospel 
which  is  not  denied  or  speciously  explained  away 
in  these  days — the  deity  of  Jesus,  the  inspiration 
of  the  Scriptures,  the  reality  of  the  supernatural, 
the  very  personality  of  God! 

The  two  pieces  of  divine  armor  which  we  most 
need,  under  these  circumstances,  are  the  girdle  of 
truth  and  the  sandals  of  the  gospel.  It  was  the 
spiked  sandals  of  a  Roman  knight  that,  at  close 
quarters  with  his  adversary,  enabled  him  ^'to  with- 
stand in  the  evil  day,  and  having  done  all  to 
stand." 

But  the  doctrine  of  the  "perseverance  of  the 
saints"  rests  on  no  frail  foundation  of  human  abil- 
ity. We  are  saved  not  by  our  feeble  hold  on  Christ 
but  by  his  mighty  grip  on  us,  as  he  said,  "No  one 
shall  snatch  them  out  of  my  hand."  Wherefore 
let  us  lean  hard  and  trust  to  his  great  promise : 

"The  soul  that  on  Jesus  hath  leaned  for  repose 
I  will  not,  I  will  not  desert  to  his  foes ; 
That  soul,  though  all  hell  should  endeavor  to  shake, 
I'll  never,  no,  never,  no,  never  forsake!" 


His  Sacerdotal  Prayer  183 

Sanctified. —  The  second  petition  of  this  great 
prayer  in  behalf  of  his  disciples  is  that  they  may 
be  sanctified. 

The  word  sanctification  is  used  in  two  different 
senses.  It  refers,  on  the  one  hand,  to  growth  in 
holiness.  We  as  Christians  are  expected  to  grow 
every  day;  not  to  stand  still,  marking  time,  but 
*'to  act  that  each  to-morrow  find  us  farther  than 
to-day."  We  are  to  add  to  our  faith  virtue,  and 
to  virtue  knowledge,  and  to  knowledge  temper- 
ance, and  to  temperance  patience,  and  to  patience 
godliness,  and  to  godliness  brotherly  kindness,  and 
to  brotherly  kindness  charity,  that  so  we  may  In- 
crease in  the  practical  knowledge  of  Christ. 

This  Is  character  building:  to  be  constantly 
growing  more  like  him.  And  to  that  end  we  have 
received  the  Immediate  presence  and  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  the  Sanctifier.  He  Is  not  called 
the  Holy  Ghost  because  he  is  holier  than  either 
of  the  other  persons  of  the  Godhead,  but 
because  it  is  his  official  function  to  Impart 
and  cultivate  holiness.  Wherefore  our  sancti- 
fication Is  measured  by  our  close  and  vital  ac- 
quaintance with  him. 

But  sanctification  means  also  consecration;  that 
Is,  devotion  to  duty.  So  Jesus  says,  "For  their 
sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  themselves  also 
may  be  sanctified  In  truth;"  by  which  he  means 
that  he  sets  before  them  an  example  of  perfect  de- 
votion to  duty.  And  he  indicates  how  this  Is  to 
be  accomplished  In  us.    The  agent  of  sanctification, 


184       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

in  both  senses,  Is  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  instru- 
ment used  by  him  Is  the  "truth." 

We  are  left  in  no  doubt  as  to  where  this  truth  is 
to  be  found;  for  Jesus  adds  "Thy  Word  is  truth." 
His  reference  is  clearly  to  the  Scriptures.  I  am 
aware  that  an  attempt  Is  made  by  those  who  reject 
the  Scriptures  to  explain  this  away  by  saying  he 
was  thinking  of  all  the  manifestations  of  Deity  in 
the  world  about  us.  But  here  "the  wish  Is  father 
to  the  thought."  The  reference  of  Jesus  is  not 
to  God's  voice  in  the  rolling  thunder  and  the  rip- 
pling of  brooks,  but  to  his  revealed  Word.  And 
this  Is  In  line  with  all  his  other  teachings.  He  was 
always  true  to  his  Bible;  he  knew  it,  beheved  it, 
loved  It,  preached  it  and  commended  It  to  those 
who  followed  him.  He  never  In  a  single  word 
or  syllable  Intimated  that  he  questioned  Its  inspira- 
tion and  trustworthiness.  It  Is  respectfully  sub- 
mitted to  the  consideration  of  all  his  professed 
followers  that  the  Book  which  was  good  enough 
for  him  should  be  good  enough  for  us. 

The  pathway  of  sanctlficatlon  is  thus  made  clear. 
If  we  profess  to  follow  Christ,  we  must  allow  him 
to  prescribe  for  us.  He  breathed  on  his  disciples, 
saying,  "Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spirit";  he  pointed 
to  the  Scriptures,  saying,  "They  testify  of  me." 
We  have  the  Bible;  and  we  have  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  Illuminate  Its  pages  and  anoint  our  eyes  that 
we  may  see;  furthermore,  we  have  the  sustaining 
power  of  this  great  prayer  of  Jesus,  "Sanctify 
them  In  the  truth." 


His  Sacerdotal  Prayer  185 

Unified. —  His  third  petition  for  his  disciples  is 
that  they  may  be  unified:  "That  they  may  all  be 
one,  even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in  thee, 
that  they  also  may  be  in  us." 

It  Is  a  grave  misinterpretation  and  perversion  of 
this  prayer  to  suggest  that  Jesus  had  in  mind  a 
heterogeneous  union  of  all  sorts  of  people,  like  the 
"Congress  of  Religions"  where  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians, Moslems,  Confucianists,  Buddhists  and  Fire- 
worshipers  met  together  in  a  common  fellowship 
under  the  apparent  assumiptlon  that  sincerity  in 
error  Is  as  admirable  as  devotion  to  truth.  The 
prayer  of  Jesus,  on  the  contrary,  was  for  the  har- 
m.onious  unity  of  all  who  sincerely  believe  In  him. 

Nor  did  he  pray  that  these  might  all  be  one  In 
an  unconditioned  oneness,  but  that  they  might  be 
one  after  the  similitude  of  the  Ineffable  Trinity. 
"As  thou,  Father,  art  In  me  and  I  in  thee,  that  they 
also  may  be  In  us." 

The  union  thus  Indicated  Is  obviously  not  a  mat- 
ter of  mere  sentiment  nor  to  be  accomplished  with 
iron  clamps.  It  is  a  union  of  life  and  purpose,  a 
substantial  union,  a  union  for  the  accomplishment 
of  a  definite  purpose  in  the  salvation  of  men. 

We  sometimes  lament  the  fact  that  there  are 
different  denominations  of  believers  In  Christ. 
This  Is  after  the  analogy  of  Nature.  "Birds  of  a 
feather  flock  together";  and  there  are  "many  men 
of  many  minds."  We  are  made  to  segregate;  and 
it  matters  not  how  we  differ  in  non-essentials  so 
long  as  there  Is  a  substantial  unity  of  life  and  pur- 
pose among  us. 


1 86       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

At  the  beginning  of  our  Civil  War  there  was  a 
call  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops  to  serve  for 
ninety  days.  The  troops  thus  enlisted  were  organ- 
ized into  companies,  regiments,  divisions  and  army 
corps.  There  were  infantry  and  cavalry  and  ar- 
tillery. Had  they  been  massed  and  hurled  at  once 
with  a  common  purpose  against  the  enemy,  the 
war  might  have  been  brought  to  a  speedy  close; 
but  they  were  stationed  all  over  the  country  in 
various  camps. 

Then  came  years  of  sporadic  fighting:  till  at 
length  Grant  appeared  with  a  conviction  that  the 
whole  army  must  be  brought  together  for  a  final 
blow.  He  meant  to  save  the  Union;  and  there 
seemed  no  other  way.  So  the  order  went  out  and 
a  million  men  turned  their  faces  toward  a  single 
point.  All  the  lines  converged  at  Appomattox. 
Grant  was  there  with  his  formidable  army;  Sheri- 
dan was  hastening  from  the  North  and  Sherman 
from  the  South.  The  result  was  a  foregone  con- 
clusion when  the  lines  closed  in. 

It  was  with  a  like  purpose  in  mind  that  Jesus 
prayed  for  the  unification  of  his  Church,  "that  the 
world  may  know  that  thou  didst  send  me."  The 
sending  of  Christ  was  for  the  saving  of  the  world; 
and  the  sending  of  his  disciples  was  to  the  same 
end;  that  is,  to  bring  all  men  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  saving  grace  of  God.  "As  thou  didst  send  me 
into  the  world,"  he  said,  "even  so  send  I  them  into 
the  world."  And  never  will  the  world  believe  In 
the  great  purpose  of  Jesus  until  all  his  disciples, 


His  Sacerdotal  Prayer  187 

moved  by  a  common  Impulse,  shall  advance  In  solid 
phalanx  to  proclaim  his  gospel  to  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth. 

"The  way  to  resume,"  said  Jay  Cooke,  "Is  to 
resume."  The  way  to  get  together  Is  to  stop  talk- 
ing about  Church  union  and  turn  our  faces  toward 
the  common  end.  Such  a  union  would  be  im- 
measurably better,  more  rational  and  more  con- 
vincing than  any  uniformity  brought  about  by 
sentimental  exhortations  or  by  mere  mechanical 
means.  The  world  will  believe  in  the  gospel  just 
as  soon  as  Christians  demonstrate  their  convic- 
tion of  its  truth  by  being  "all  at  it,  always  at  it, 
all  together  at  it." 

Glorified. — The  fourth  of  the  great  petitions  of 
Jesus  for  his  disciples  is  that  they  may  be  glorified: 
"Father,  I  will  ^  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast 
given  me  be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may 
behold  my  glory,  which  thou  hast  given  me." 
And  here  we  reach  the  stupendous  climax  of  this 
mighty  sacerdotal  prayer.  The  words  of  Jesus 
at  this  point  are  conclusive  with  respect  to  two  mat- 
ters. 

On  the  one  hand,  they  prove  that  Jesus  was 
either  what  he  claimed  to  be,  to  wit;  the  only-be- 
gotten and  co-equal  Son  of  God,  or  else  he  was 

^  In  the  Revised  Version  this  is  rendered,  "Father,  I  desire,'* 
etc. ;  but,  inasmuch  as  the  word  thelein  occurs  ninety-seven  times 
in  the  four  Gospels  and  always  with  this  meaning,  I  see  no  reason 
for  changing  it. 


1 88       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

justly  charged  with  blasphemy  against  God.  For, 
observe,  he  does  not  ask  this  thhig  of  the  Father, 
but  wills  It!  Out  of  his  own  authority,  the 
exousia  which  was  ''from  within,"  he  wills  It!  As 
the  eternal  Son  he  wills  it !  Think  of  a  mere  man, 
though  he  were  the  best  of  men,  looking  up  to 
heaven  and  speaking  in  this  way. 

And  observe  also  his  reference  to  "the  glory 
which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world 
was."  He  claims  not  only  to  have  been  pre-exist- 
ent  but  to  be  a  sempiternal  sharer  In  the  glory  of 
God!  He  elsewhere  announced  his  purpose  of  re- 
turning, after  he  should  have  finished  his  redemp- 
tive work,  to  reassume  the  glory  which  he  had  with 
the  Father  "before  the  world  was" ! 

But  his  words  suggest  another  important  truth, 
to  wit:  that  his  Intercessory  prayer  on  this  occa- 
sion was  but  the  beginning  of  an  eternal  interces- 
sion in  behalf  of  those  who  follow  him.  "He  ever 
llveth  to  make  intercession  for  us."  In  that  same 
interview  with  his  disciples  in  the  upper  room  he 
said,  "I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  If  I 
go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  come  again  and 
will  receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am, 
there  ye  may  be  also."  He  Is  thus  preparing  us 
for  a  prepared  place.  He  has  entered  upon  his 
glory,  and  proposes  that  his  faithful  followers 
shall  not  only  behold  but  participate  In  It. 

On  one  occasion  his  disciples  caught  a  glimpse 
of  that  glory.  It  was  on  the  Mount  of  Transfig- 
uration, where  "the  fashion  of  his  countenance  was 


His  Sacerdotal  Prayer  189 

altered  and  his  raiment  became  white  and  daz- 
zling." For  a  moment  his  homespun  fluttered 
aside  and  revealed  the  King;  but  how,  think  you, 
will  he  appear  when  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is? 
Here  is  something  to  dream  about.  Surely  a  great 
surprise  awaits  us! 

How  natural  It  was,  and  how  human,  that  Jesus 
should  offer  this  prayer!  The  disciples  had  known 
him  In  his  humiliation;  he  meant  that  they  should 
behold  him  in  his  glory.  They  had  seen  him 
clothed  In  homespun;  he  wanted  them  to  see  him 
arrayed  in  light  and  dwelling  In  glory  unapproach- 
able. They  had  seen  him  in  the  workshop,  with 
chips  and  shavings  about  his  feet  and  the  imple- 
ments of  his  trade  on  the  bench  before  him;  he 
wanted  them  to  see  him  in  the  palace  where  he  had 
dwelt  "before  the  world  was."  They  had  seen  him 
on  his  weary  journeys  followed  by  a  meager  reti- 
nue of  fishermen;  he  wanted  them  to  see  him  with 
legions  of  angels  and  archangels  waiting  to  do  his 
holy  will.  They  were  to  see  him  in  the  Judgment 
Hall,  scourged  and  spit  upon,  wearing  the  cast-off 
purple  of  a  petty  magistrate,  with  an  impotent  reed 
In  his  hand;  he  wanted  them  to  see  him  surrounded 
by  a  great  multitude  that  no  man  can  number,  as- 
cribing to  him,  with  a  voice  like  the  sound  of  many 
waters,  honor  and  glory  and  power  and  dominion 
forever  and  ever.  They  were  to  see  him  lifted  up 
In  the  mortal  anguish  of  the  cross;  he  wanted  them 
to  see  him  lifted  up  above  all  principalities  and 
powers,  as  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 


190       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

A  limited  pra,yer. —  One  thing  more,  and  here  is 
a  matter  for  serious  consideration.  This  prayer  of 
Jesus  was  only  for  those  who  love  and  follow  him. 
"I  pray  not  for  the  world,"  he  said,  "but  for  those 
whom  thou  hast  given  me." 

On  other  occasions  he  did  pray  for  the  world. 
His  advent  was  a  demonstration  of  his  love  to- 
ward all  the  children  of  men.  His  life  was  a  long 
prayer  for  sinners.  His  death  was  a  mighty  prayer 
for  salvation  to  the  uttermost.  It  had  been  writ- 
ten of  him,  centuries  before:  "Ask  of  me,  and  I 
will  give  thee  the  nations  for  thine  inheritance  and 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  posses- 
sion." 

On  the  cross,  with  his  pierced  hands  out- 
stretched, he  offered  that  petition,  "Give  me  the 
nations  for  my  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  for  my  possession !"  This  was  a  plea 
for  all  humanity;  which  in  the  fullness  of  time  shall 
be  answered  when  the  nations  shall  come  flocking 
to  him  as  doves  to  their  windows,  and  he  shall  see 
the  fruit  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied. 

Oh,  yes ;  he  prayed  for  the  world !  He  prayed 
for  all  non-believers  to  the  end  of  time  when  he 
cried,  "Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do !"  But  on  this  occasion,  in  the  upper 
room,  his  prayer  was  only  in  behalf  of  those  who 
loved  him. 

All  may  be  included. — If  there  be  any  man,  not 
hitherto  a  Christian,  who  would  come  within  the 


His  Sacerdotal  Prayer  191 

charmed  circle  of  this  intercessory  prayer — surely 
a  great  privilege — the  way  is  open  before  him. 
Yield  to  the  overtures  of  Christ.  Bow  under  his 
cross  and  pass  under  his  yoke.  There  is  no  other 
way  of  getting  into  this  inner  place.  He  offers 
salvation  to  the  worst  of  sinners;  but,  inasmuch 
as  man  was  created  in  the  likeness  of  God  and  is 
therefore  possessed  of  a  sovereign  will,  salvation 
cannot  be  forced  upon  him.  The  unspeakable 
gifts  of  the  gospel  are  free  as  air  or  water,  but  a 
man  must  take  them. 

Oh,  the  blessedness  of  being  included  in  the  in- 
tercessory prayer  of  Christ!  It  makes  us  strong 
and  patient  and  hopeful  in  suffering  and  service  to 
know  that  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
us. 

Arise,  my  soul,  arise: 

Shake  off  thy  guilty  fears ! 
The  bleeding  Sacrifice 

In  thy  behalf  appears; 
Before  the  throne  my  Surety  stands, 
>  My  name  is  written  on  his  hands ! 

He  ever  lives  above 

For  me  to  intercede ; 
His  all-redeeming  love, 

His  precious  blood  to  plead; 
His  blood  atoned  for  all  our  race 
And  sprinkles  now  the  throne  of  grace. 

Five  bleeding  wounds  he  bears, 
Received  on  Calvary; 


192       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

They  pour  effectual  prayers, 

They  strongly  plead  for  me. 
"Forgive  him,  O  forgive,"  they  cry, 
**Nor  let  that  ransomed  sinner  die!" 

The  Father  hears  him  pray, 

His  dear  anointed  One; 
He  cannot  turn  aw^ay 

The  presence  of  his  Son ; 
The  Spirit  answers  to  the  blood 
And  tells  me  I  am  born  of  God ! 

All  thanks  to  him  who  thus  remembers  us!  In 
our  behalf  the  incense  of  intercession  ever  rises 
from  the  Golden  Altar  of  heaven.  Our  Lord 
stands,  as  Stephen  saw  him,  with  outstretched  arms 
to  welcome  us.  We  are  kept,  we  are  sanctified, 
we  are  brought  into  the  fellowship  of  saints,  and 
shall  be  ultimately  glorified  with  Christ,  because 
he  ever  liveth,  thus,  to  make  intercession  for  us. 


HIS    GREAT   PROMISE 


Necessary  that  Christ  should  depart.— His  bequest.— 
Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.— The  convicting 
power  of  the  Spirit.— We  need  him. 

Necessary  that  Christ  should  depart.— It  Is  easy 
to  understand  the  necessity  of  Christ's  coming  into 
this  world;  for  what  a  dreary,  sunless  world  it 
would  have  been  without  him !  It  is  easy  to  see, 
moreover,  that  it  was  expedient  for  him  to  remain 
here,  in  order  to  teach  truth  and  righteousness  and 
lay  the  foundations  of  his  Kingdom  among  men. 
But  how  could  it  be  expedient  that  he  should  go 
away?  Yet  he  says  plainly  in  the  sixteenth  chap- 
ter of  John:  "I  tell  you  the  truth;  it  is  expedient 
for  you  that  I  go  away." 

Was  it  on  account  of  the  limitations  of  the  flesh? 
His  purpose  was  to  be  a  universal  Saviour;  his 
gospel  was  for  all  the  children  of  men;  yet  here  he 
was,  "cabinM,  cribbed,  confined"  in  the  smallest 
of  small  parishes  in  a  remote  corner  of  the  world. 
The  problem  before  him  was  like  that  of  Archi- 
medes, who  affirmed  that  he  could  lift  the  world  if 
only  he  might  find  a  place  for  the  fulcrum  of  his 
lever.  But  obviously  the  place  for  the  fulcrum  of 
a  lever  that  lifts  the  world  must  be  outside  of  it. 

193 


194       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

The  great  men  of  history  have  all  had  to  "go 
away"  In  order  to  wield  the  full  measure  of  their 
Influence.  The  living  among  us  are  the  dead.  The 
men  v/ho  are  dominating  our  affairs  are  not  those 
who  have  the  trumpet  at  their  lips,  but  those  who 
have  gone  Into  God's  acre,  many  of  them  lying  In 
unknown  graves  "unwept,  unhonored  and  unsung." 
The  Influence  of  Jesus,  while  he  sojourned  as  a 
man  among  men,  was  Inconsiderable  as  compared 
with  that  which  he  exerted  afterward.  He  suc- 
ceeded In  gathering  a  little  group  of  fishermen  and 
other  humble  folk  about  him;  and  that,  appar- 
ently, was  all.  His  announced  plan  was  to  revo- 
lutionize history  and  turn  the  world  upside  down; 
and  this  meager  following  was  all  there  was  to 
show  for  It! 

All  bodily  presence  Is  weak.  It  seemed  Impos- 
sible for  Jesus  even  to  Impress  upon  his  disciples 
an  adequate  thought  of  his  divine  nature  and  au- 
thority so  long  as  they  were  able  to  say,  "Behold 
he  is  with  us  and  one  of  us."  One  night  while 
they  were  rowing  across  the  sea  of  Galilee  the 
storm  fell  suddenly  and  they  were  overwhelmed 
with  fear.  What  was  their  Master's  power  to 
them?    Yet  he  was  only  three  miles  away! 

So  sensuous  was  their  faith  that  it  reached  only 
to  their  finger-tips.  For  their  sake,  therefore,  as 
well  as  for  the  world's  sake,  he  must  vanish  out 
of  their  sight;  like  Lycurgus,  who,  having  prepared 
a  code  of  laws  for  Sparta,  and  perceiving  that  his 
personal  presence  was  a  hindrance  to  the  just  ob- 


His  Great  Promise  195 

servance  of  that  code,  mysteriously  disappeared 
and  never  again  was  seen  among  men.  But  he  left 
his  Influence  behind  him.  It  was  because  he  found 
the  fulcrum  of  his  lever  outside  the  world  that  his 
name  Is  mentioned  among  the  great  lawgivers  of 
the  world  to-day. 

His  bequest.— But  Christ  has  nothing  to  say  of 
such  considerations  as  these.  The  reason  which 
he  gives  for  his  going  away  Is  that  he  was  to  leave 
behind  him  a  bequest  which  should  be  a  manifold 
equivalent  for  every  loss.  "If  I  go  not  away  the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you;  but  If  I  go 
I  win  send  him  unto  3^ou.'' 

In  the  history  of  our  world  there  have  been 
three  divine  dispensations.  The  first  was  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  Father,  which  continued  from  the 
creation  until  the  advent  of  Christ,  a  period  of 
about  four  thousand  years.  The  second  was  the 
dispensation  of  the  Son,  which  continued  for  a 
brief  period  of  about  thirty  years;  It  was  like  a 
sun  spot  on  the  mountains,  which  lingers  for  a  mo- 
ment and  Is  gone.  The  third  Is  the  dispensation 
of  the  Spirit,  In  which  we  are  living  to-day.  At 
the  ascension  of  Christ  the  work  of  the  kingdom 
on  earth  was  transferred  to  the  Holy  Spirit;  and 
he,  as  Its  executive,  will  carry  it  on  until  the  resti- 
tution of  all  things. 

So  Jesus  said  farewell  and  vv^ent  his  way.  What 
then  ?  For  a  time  his  followers  were  overwhelmed 
with  sorrow,  feeling  that  all  was  over. 


196       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

But  after  his  resurrection  Christ  reappeared  and 
remained  with  his  disciples  forty  days,  long  enough 
to  satisfy  them  that  whereas  he  had  died  he  was 
now  alive  forevermore,  and  to  mark  out  for  them 
the  plan  of  the  campaign  which  was  to  eventuate 
in  the  restoration  of  the  world  to  God.  At  the 
close  of  that  period  he  met  them  at  Olivet, 
breathed  on  them,  saying,  "Receive  ye  the  Holy 
Spirit!"  and  gave  them  the  great  commission,  "Go, 
evangelize !"  Then  the  heavens  opened  to  receive 
him. 

Ten  days  later,  while  the  disciples  were  praying 
in  an  open  court  in  Jerusalem,  the  Spirit  came  with 
a  sound  as  of  a  rushing,  mighty  wind;  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  new  administration  was  signalized 
by  the  conversion  of  three  thousand  souls  In  a 
single  day! 

Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — We  are  living 
in  this  dispensation  of  the  Spirit;  and  It  Is  obviously 
of  the  utmost  Importance  that  we  should  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  Is  not 
an  impersonal  something  or  other,  an  affluence,  an 
effluence,  an  Influence  or  anything  of  the  sort.  He 
Is  the  third  person  of  the  Godhead.  His  personality 
is  as  real  as  that  of  the  Father  or  that  of  the  Son. 
He  is  the  Executive  of  this  dispensation,  under 
whose  authority  and  control  we,  as  followers  of 
Christ,  meet  all  responsibilities  and  discharge  all 
duties. 

It  is  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  since  Jesus 


His  Great  Promise  197 

advised  his  disciples  that  they  were  to  act  hence- 
forth under  this  direction;  and  think  of  the  mil- 
lions on  millions  of  people  in  the  world  who 
have  never  heard  his  gospel!  Nor  can  the 
Church  expect  to  realize  its  best  possibilities  so 
long  as  its  ministers  and  members  fail  to  recognize 
the  leadership  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  fact  that  they 
themselves,  in  order  to  meet  their  responsibilities 
under  the  great  commission,  must  be  baptized  with 
fire  and  power  and  made  conscious  partners  in  the 
transcendent  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

The  convicting  power  of  the  Spirit. — The  in- 
fluence of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  great  dynamic 
In  human  history,  is  here  clearly  indicated  in  the 
teaching  of  Christ.  He  says  of  the  Comforter, 
"When  he  is  come  he  will  convict  the  world  in 
respect  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness  and  of  judg- 
ment." 

Of  sin. — He  will  convict  the  world  of  sin,  "be- 
cause they  believe  not  on  me." 

The  average  man  has  a  totally  inadequate  sense 
of  sin.  At  the  best,  he  regards  it  as  a  violation 
of  law.  He  sees  clearly  enough  that  theft,  arson, 
forgery,  murder  and  adultery  are  sins.  In  fact, 
however,  they  are  merely  symptoms  of  sin,  like 
eruptions  which  indicate  an  inward  malady.  And 
when  we  try  to  cure  sin  with  chains  and  prisons 
and  scaffold  trees,  we  are  simply  doctoring  the  visi- 
ble symptom.s  of  it. 

But  here  comes  the  Holy  Ghost  to  correct  this 


198       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

misapprehension.  He  teaches  us  that  sin  in  any 
form  whatsoever  is  not  only  a  violation  of  law, 
divine  or  human,  but  enmity  against  God. 

This  is  getting  down  to  the  root  of  the  matter. 
The  thief,  the  drunkard  and  the  drab  are  sinners, 
certainly;  any  child  knows  that.  But  how  about 
the  smug,  decorous,  respectable  malefactor  who 
does  not  wear  his  vices  on  his  sleeve  for  daws  to 
peck  at?  What  about  the  man  w^ho  keeps  within 
the  bounds  of  statutes  and  ordinances  but  has  no 
place  in  his  life  for  God?  Is  he  also  a  sinner? 
The  Holy  Ghost  says  yes.  Why?  Because  he 
breathes  God's  air,  lives  on  his  bounty,  is  a  con- 
stant beneficiary  of  his  goodness  and  yet  has  not 
the  grace  to  say,  "I  thank  you!" 

If  this  were  all  it  would  be  bad  enough;  but  the 
head  and  front  of  his  offending  is  that  when  God 
sends  his  only-begotten  Son  into  the  world  to  die 
for  his  redemption,  he  will  have  none  of  him !  So 
said  Peter  to  the  assembled  multitudes  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth  .  .  .  him  .  .  . 
ye  by  the  hands  of  lawless  men  did  crucify  and 
slay."  They  were  guilty  of  a  thousand  sins;  but 
this  was  the  greatest  of  all. 

To  reject  Christ  is  to  crucify  him  afresh;  and 
what  a  sin  have  we  here  in  the  light  of  this  gospel 
age!  This  is  the  revolt  of  the  sinner  against  God. 
It  is  worse  than  theft  and  murder  and  adultery 
rolled  into  one.  But  tell  that  to  the  respectable 
sinner  and  he  will  smile  at  you.  The  Holy  Ghost 
must  come  and  uncover  his  heart.    And  w^hen  the 


His  Great  Promise  199 

Holy  Ghost  speaks  his  words  shall  be  like  a  two- 
edged  sword  which  divideth  asunder  the  soul  and 
spirit.  Now  see  the  sinner  pricked  to  the  heart, 
and  hear  him  crying,  "What  shall  I  do?" 

Of  righteousness. — It  is  the  function  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  as  Jesus  says,  to  "convict  the  world 
of  righteousness,  because  I  go  to  the  Father  and 
ye  behold  me  no  more.'' 

The  world's  idea  of  righteousness  is  as  defective 
as  its  conception  of  sin.  It  has  one  form  of  right- 
eousness which  it  calls  morality,  that  is,  living 
within  the  prescript  of  the  law.  This  is  good 
as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  does  not  go  far  enough. 
Jesus  said  to  the  young  ruler,  "He  that  doeth  the 
law  shall  live  by  it" ;  but  suppose  a  man  breaks  the 
law,  what  then?  "The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall 
die!"  And  in  all  the  world  there  is  not  a  mortal 
man  who  has  kept  the  moral  law. 

There  is  another  form  of  righteousness  which 
means  obedience  to  ceremonial  law.  This  is  su- 
perficial at  the  best,  and  those  who  practise  it,  un- 
less they  have  a  heart  of  holiness,  are  but  "like 
unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  outwardly  appear 
beautiful,  but  inwardly  are  full  of  dead  men's 
bones  and  of  all  uncleanness."  This  is  that  form  of 
religion  of  which  the  Saviour  said,  "Except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into 
the  Kingdom  of  heaven."  The  two  forms  of 
goodness  here  indicated  are  like  the  signs  on  a 
shop-keeper's  windows,  which  may  mean  something 


200       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

or  nothing,  according  as  there  are  corresponding 
goods  on  his  shelves  within.  And  those  who  trust 
in  either  one  of  them  will  be  left  lamenting  at  the 
last,  "All  our  righteousnesses  are  as  a  polluted 
garment!" 

The  Holy  Ghost  comes  to  correct  these  defini- 
tions of  righteousness  by  pointing  to  Christ,  who 
was  the  only  righteous  man  that  ever  lived  in  this 
world  of  ours.  He  was  the  only  one  who  ever 
lived  up  to  the  high  level  of  the  law.  He  was  the 
only  one  who  ever  "brought  the  bottom  of  his  life 
up  to  the  top  of  his  light."  He  was  the  only  one 
who  ever  dared  to  issue  a  challenge,  "Which  of 
you  convicteth  me  of  sin?"  without  being  laughed 
at.  He  was  the  Dikaios  of  whom  Plato  dreamed, 
"the  perfect  one."  He  was  the  only  man  who  ever 
was  sentenced  to  death  by  a  judge  who  said,  "I 
find  no  fault  in  this  man." 

It  IS  the  special  and  particular  function  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  call  him  to  our  remembrance. 
Christ  has  gone  to  the  Father,  so  that  the  world 
seeth  him  no  more ;  but  the  world  can  never  forget 
him,  because  the  Holy  Ghost  is  ever  pointing  to 
him  and  saying,  "Behold  the  man!  Behold  his 
sinlessness  and  the  perfect  manner  of  his  life !  Be- 
hold him,  and  be  like  him!"  In  the  imitation  of 
Christ  we  find  the  Spirit's  definition  of  righteous- 
ness. For  such  righteousness  is  more  than  con- 
formity with  law;  It  is  conformity  with  God. 

So  the  Holy  Ghost  reverses  the  world's  concep- 
tions of  sin  and  righteousness.     Here  are  two  men 


His  Great  Promise  201 

going  up  to  the  Temple  to  pray.  One  of  them  Is 
a  Doctor  of  Divinity  with  broad  phylacteries  and 
a  scriptural  frontlet  between  his  eyes;  and  his 
prayer  runs  on  this  wise :  "God,  I  thank  thee  that 
I  am  not  as  other  men  are;  extortioners,  unjust, 
adulterers,  or  even  as  this  publican.  I  fast  twice  in 
the  week!  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  get!"  The 
other,  standing  afar  off,  dares  not  lift  up  his  eyes 
unto  heaven,  but,  smiting  upon  his  breast,  cries, 
*'God,  be  thou  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner!"  The 
world  takes  these  men  at  their  own  valuation :  the 
Pharisee  is  a  saint  and  the  publican  a  reprobate. 
But  the  Holy  Ghost  has  this  to  say :  "The  Pharisee 
Is  the  sinner  and  the  publican  is  the  saint;  because, 
feeling  his  sin,  he  Is  on  his  way  back  to  God." 

Of  judgment. — The  Holy  Ghost  "convicts  the 
world  of  judgment  because  the  prince  of  the  world 
hath  been  judged." 

The  current  thought  of  judgment  is  as  Inade- 
quate as  the  conceptions  of  sin  and  righteousness 
already  referred  to.  On  the  one  hand  there  are 
those  who  think,  like  Job's  miserable  comforters, 
that  judgment  Is  a  system  of  exact  retribution  go- 
ing on  here  and  now.  A  man  sits  in  a  draught  and 
contracts  rheumatism,  or  he  overeats  and  has  dys- 
pepsia. Thus  the  laws  of  nature  are  continually 
exacting  their  quid  pro  quo  as  Indicated  in  the 
Buddhist  "law  of  consequences." 

There  are  others  who  restrict  the  thought  of 
judgment  to  the  Great  Day  when  all  that  are  In 
their  graves  shall  come  forth  to  render  an  account 


202       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

of  their  deeds.  Both  of  these  conceptions  are  true 
so  far  as  they  go;  but  they  do  not  exhaust  the 
matter  in  hand. 

The  Holy  Spirit  comes  to  advise  us  that  therq 
is  another  sort  of  judgment  going  on  every  dayj 
before  our  eyes.  Who  is  being  judged?  The 
prince  of  this  world.  We  are  in  the  midst  of  a 
great  controversy.  Light  and  darkness  are  met  as 
on  a  mighty  battlefield.  Events  are  hastening  on 
toward  a  great  Armageddon  when  the  red  dragon 
shall  be  cast  into  the  pit.  Here  is  the  key  to  his- 
tory. Read  it  as  Christ  did  when  he  said,  "I 
beheld  Satan  fallen  as  lightning  from  heaven  !'* 
Read  judgment  in  the  newspapers,  between  the 
lines  of  passing  events !  The  Holy  Spirit  gives  us 
the  clue.  "God's  in  his  heaven,  all's  right  with  the 
world!" 

History  Is  judgment.  There  is  judgment  in 
the  story  of  Waterloo  and  Gettysburg,  the  Cru- 
sades and  the  Reformation,  the  fall  of  the  Bastile 
and  the  signing  of  Magna  Charta.  Christ  goeth 
forth  conquering  and  to  conquer!  He  hath  upon 
his  vesture  and  upon  his  thigh  a  name  written, 
"King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords."  See  the 
white  plume  of  the  Captain  of  our  Salvation  in 
the  forefront  of  events,  leading  onward,  ever  on- 
ward to  the  Golden  Age!  Fall  in  and  lend  a 
hand !  The  blast  of  the  trumpet  which  shall  usher 
in  the  Great  Day  will  be  but  the  signal  for  the 
final  sitting  of  a  Court  which  has  been  in  session 
through  all  the  ages. 


His  Great  Promise  203 

So  the  three  great  facts  In  the  province  of  the 
spiritual  life,  to  wit:  sin,  righteousness  and  judg- 
ment, are  defined  and  opened  up  to  us  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  anoints  our  eyes  that  we  may  see.  He 
dispels  doubt,  cures  hypochondria  and  makes  op- 
timists of  all.  He  hushes  our  misereres  and  at- 
tunes our  hearts  to  hosannas  and  hallelujahs.  The 
shadows  disappear  at  his  bidding  and  lo,  the  moun- 
tains are  full  of  horses  and  chariots! 

We  need  him. — Come,  Holy  Spirit,  come  ! 
Come  as  the  light  to  illumine  our  dull  understand- 
ings! Come  as  the  morning  dew  to  refresh  our 
weary  energies  and  give  us  hopeful  and  joyous 
views  of  spiritual  truth !  Come  as  the  fire  to  en- 
kindle within  us  new  zeal  for  holiness  and  new 
devotion  to  the  kingdom  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness !  Come  and  call  Jesus  to  our  remembrance ! 
For  without  thee  our  eyes  grow  dim  and  vision 
fails.  Show  us  Christ,  crucified  to  atone  for  sin 
which  is  enmity  against  God !  Show  us  Christ,  the 
living  exemplar  of  that  righteousness  which  is  con- 
formity with  God  1  Show  us  Christ,  the  conqueror 
who  leads  the  great  campaign  of  progress  with 
such  might  that  the  gates  of  hell  cannot  prevail 
against  him !  Come,  Holy  Spirit,  come !  Give  us 
a  bright  vision  of  Christ,  the  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  beginning  of  every  high  hope  and  noble  aspi- 
ration, and  the  end  of  every  ambition  that  Is 
worthy  of  the  children  of  men!  Show  us  Christ, 
first,  last,  midst  and  all-in-all ! 


HIS   ATONING    WORK 


An  object  lesson. — The  doctrine  of  salvation. — Sin. — 
Expiation. — Justification  by  faith. 

An  object  lesson. —  The  clearest  exposition  of 
the  Atonement  is  that  which  Christ  himself  gave 
in  his  conversation  with  Nicodemus.  The  rabbi 
had  greeted  him  with  a  compliment,  "Master,  we 
know  that  thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God." 
This  was  a  mere  courtesy  on  his  part;  but  back  of 
it,  deep  down  in  his  heart,  was  a  strong  desire  to 
know  the  way  of  eternal  life. 

As  an  expert  in  the  art  of  forensic  dissimulation 
he  naturally  gave  no  outward  token  of  this  desire; 
but  the  Lord  perceived  it.  He  diagnosed  his  case 
at  a  glance;  and  giving  no  heed  to  the  compliment, 
he  proceeded  straightway  to  the  matter  in  hand. 
He  knew  that  what  his  visitor  wanted  was  light 
on  the  great  problem  of  salvation;  and  he  instruct- 
ed him  precisely  as  if  he  had  been  a  little  child. 
If  a  kindergartner  wishes  to  explain  roundness  to 
a  child  he  does  not  give  the  dictionary  definition 
but  holds  up  an  orange  to  illustrate  it.  So  Christ 
gives  Nicodemus  an  object  lesson,  to  make  clear 
the  doctrine  of  salvation.  "Do  you  remember," 
he  says,  "how  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the 

204 


His  Atoning  Work  205 

wilderness?"  Of  course  he  remembered;  for  this 
was  an  old  story  and  the  Hebrew  people  were  all 
familiar  with  It. 

The  doctrine  of  salvation. — Our  Lord  used  this 
incident  to  Illustrate  the  doctrine  of  salvation;  and 
the  analogy  Is  very  close.  In  this  doctrine  there 
are  three  essential  facts. 

Sin. — The  first  fact  is  sin.  Here  is  the  starting- 
point.  We  shall  make  no  progress  toward  a  so- 
lution of  the  problem  until  we  get  a  right  idea  of 
sin.  I  am  aware  that  this  way  of  thinking  is  quite 
out  of  fashion;  nevertheless  sin  is  a  fact;  and  there 
is  none  to  dispute  It. 

Sin,  like  the  venom  of  the  serpent,  Is  all-per- 
vasive. It  courses  through  the  blood  from  the 
heart  to  the  very  finger-tips.  It  corrupts  the  mind, 
perverts  the  conscience,  enfeebles  the  will,  so  that 
''the  whole  head  Is  sick  and  the  whole  heart  faint. 
From  the  sole  of  the  foot  even  unto  the  head  there 
is  no  soundness  in  It:  but  wounds  and  bruises  and 
fresh  stripes." 

Sin,  like  the  venom  of  the  serpent,  is  deadly. 
"The  soul  that  sinneth  It  shall  die."  And  to  the 
mind  of  a  right-thinking  man  there  can  be  no 
death  more  frightful  than  eternal  exile  from  a  holy 
God.  There  is  no  cure  in  our  fnateria  medica  for 
it.  In  vain  did  the  Israelites  search  for  an  anti- 
dote for  the  serpent's  bite.  Their  herbs  and  nos- 
trums   and    Incantations    were    unavailing.      The 


2o6       The  ThRee  Great  Doctrines 

world,  In  like  manner,  has  been  groping  through 
the  centuries  for  some  remedy  for  sin.  The  prob- 
lem is.  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?  How  shall 
God  be  just  and  yet  the  justlfier  of  the  ungodly? 
How  shall  a  man  be  just  with  God?  In  all  the 
mythologies  and  philosophies  and  false  religions 
of  the  world  there  Is  no  hint  or  suggestion  of  any 
method  for  the  removal  of  sin. 

Expiation. — The  second  of  the  essential  facts  In 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  Is  expiation.  This  Is  set 
forth  In  the  lifting  up  of  the  serpent.  Jesus  said, 
''As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness, 
even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up."  The 
resemblance  Is  clear. 

To  begin  with,  the  brazen  effigy  on  the  pole  was 
really  no  serpent  at  all.  It  was  wholly  Innocuous. 
There  was  no  venom  in  It.  So  It  Is  written  of 
Christ  that  he  was  "holy,  harmless  and  undefiled" 
among  the  sinful  children  of  men.  There  was  no 
fault  In  him  at  all. 

But  the  brazen  effigy  was  like  a  serpent.  So  It 
is  written,  "God  sending  his  own  Son  In  the  like- 
ness of  sinful  flesh  and  for  sin,  condemned  sin  In 
the  flesh;  that  the  ordinance  of  the  law  might  be 
fulfilled  In  us."  And,  still  more  emphatically, 
"Him  who  knew  no  sin  he  made  to  be  sin  on  our 
behalf,  that  we  might  become  the  righteousness  of 
God." 

As  the  brazen  serpent  was  Impaled,  '^even  so 
must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up."  The  phrase 
"lifted  up"  was  generally  understood  as  a  proverb- 


His  Atoning  Work  207 

lal  reference  to  crucifixion.  '*But  this  he  said, 
signifying  by  what  manner  of  death  he  should 
die."  A  further  explanation  is  given  in  these 
words:  "Christ  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of 
the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us;  for  it  is  writ- 
ten. Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree." 

As  the  brazen  effigy,  like  a  madstone,  drew  the 
poison  from  the  wound,  so  Christ  crucified  has 
power  to  save.  This  is  because  he  died  as  our  sub- 
stitute. Our  sin  is  laid  by  Imputation  upon  him, 
that  he  in  turn  may  cast  about  us  the  imputation 
of  his  righteousness,  as  a  garment  of  fine  linen, 
clean  and  white.  He  is  indeed  the  sinless  one;  yet 
hanging  yonder  impaled,  as  it  were,  before  the  of- 
fended law  he  becomes,  in  our  behalf,  the  very 
chief  of  sinners.  The  curse  of  the  whole  ruined 
race  Is  laid  upon  him.  The  blood  upon  his  fore- 
head seems  like  a  frontlet,  bearing  the  word  "Ac- 
cursed." It  Is  by  virtue  of  this  Imputation  that  he, 
being  made  "in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,"  de- 
livers us  from  sin.  He  "bore  our  sins,"  and  bore 
them  away  "In  his  body  upon  the  tree." 

But  now  arises  the  supreme  question :  How 
shall  we  get  the  benefit  of  this  salvation  which  was 
wrought  for  all  the  children  of  men?  If  It  be  true 
that  he  "tasted  of  death  for  every  man,"  then  that 
means  me.  What  remains  to  be  done  that  I  may 
be  saved  by  It? 

Justification. — This  brings  us  to  the  third  of  the 
essential  facts  in  the  doctrine  of  salvation,  which 
Is  justification  by  faith.     "Look,  and  live!"     "He 


2o8       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

that  belleveth  on  the  Son  hath  eternal  Hfe;  but  he 
that  obeyeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abldeth  on  him." 

There  was  obviously  no  healing  virtue  in  the 
glance.  So  far  as  that  was  concerned  it  would 
have  answered  just  as  well  to  look  at  the  face  of 
Moses  or  at  the  noonday  sun.  So  faith  in  itself 
is  a  valueless  thing.  There  is  no  essential  grace  in 
it;  nevertheless  it  is  the  indispensable  condition  of 
life. 

The  only  reason  why  the  sufferers  in  the  Jewish 
camp  were  healed  by  looking  at  the  brazen  serpent 
was  because  God  had  declared  that  so  it  should  be. 
In  like  manner  faith  in  Christ  is  made  the  condition 
of  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  No  one  will  question  the 
fact  that  the  God  who  wrought  the  miracle  of 
healing  in  the  wilderness  had  an  indisputable  right 
to  make  his  own  terms  concerning  it.  It  should 
be  equally  clear  that  the  God  who  bestows  the  gift 
of  pardoning  grace  has  the  right  to  place  a  con- 
dition upon  it.  This  he  has  been  pleased  to  do. 
His  grace  is  free,  free  as  air  or  water;  but  the  air 
must  be  breathed,  and  a  man  will  perish  of  thirst 
if  he  does  not  dip  up  the  water  and  drink  it.  In 
like  manner  the  great  salvation  is  offered  to  all 
on  the  sole  and  simple  condition  that  they  will  by 
faith  receive  it. 

I  remember  seeing  a  tract  entitled  "The  Gospel 
in  Three  Colors,  or  The  Alchemy  of  Grace." 
Apart  from  the  title  page  it  contained  not  a  single 
word;  only  three  leaves,  black,  red  and  white.     In 


His  Atoning  Work  209 

these  three  leaves  we  find  a  simple  but  clear  ex- 
position of  the  divine  method  of  dealing  with  sin. 

The  Black  Leaf  stands  for  sin;  which  Is  the 
blackest  thing  in  the  universe  of  God. 

"Black  it  stood  as  night,"  says  Milton;  and 
Shakespeare:  "O  bosom  black  as  death!"  It  is 
affirmed  that  the  blackest  thing  in  nature  Is  the 
blight  at  the  heart  of  a  flower;  sin  is  the  mortal 
blight  at  the  heart  of  our  ruined  race.  Is  there 
anywhere  within  the  infinite  reach  of  divine  wis- 
dom aught  that  can  eradicate  it? 

The   Red  Leaf  stands  for  the  atoning  blood. 

Our  death  sentence  Is  executed  in  the  person  of 
Christ,  who  stands  as  the  "daysman"  or  substitute 
for  guilty  men.  Law  Is  honored;  justice  Is  vindi- 
cated ;  guilt  Is  expiated ;  holiness  Is  satisfied.  Thus 
we  behold  In  Christ  crucified  "the  wisdom  and  the 
power  of  God." 

The  White  Leaf  stands  for  cleansing. 

In  the  marvels  of  alchemy  there  Is  nothing  so 
wonderful  as  this,  that  the  blackness  of  sin,  by  the 
washing  of  blood.  Is  made  white  as  the  driven 
snow ! 

No  doubt  there  were  many  in  Israel  who,  refus- 
ing to  look  at  the  brazen  serpent,  perished  and 
were  burled  in  the  desert  sand.  Some  put  their 
dependence  on  such  human  help  as  was  at  their 
command,  and  they  died.  Some  could  not  under- 
stand how  there  was  healing  power  In  a  brazen 
serpent  on  a  pole;  and,  refusing  to  look,  they  died. 
Others,  feeling  no  pain,  declined  to  believe  that 


2IO       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

they  were  In  serious  danger,  and,  refusing  to  look, 
they  died.  But  there  were  multitudes  who,  hear- 
ing the  invitation,  obeyed  and  lived! 

"  Look,  look,  look  and  live! 

There  is  life  for  a  look  at  the  Crucified  One; 
There    s  life  at  this  moment  for  thee. " 

How  simple  this  is!  Yet  all  the  profoundest 
things  are  simple.  And  Jesus  said,  "Whosoever 
shall  not  receive  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  a  little 
child,  he  shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein."  I,  for 
one,  am  glad  that  he  taught  the  great  truths  In 
this  way:  for  thus  salvation  Is  brought  within  the 
grasp  of  all.  I  am  glad  that  he  taught  NIcodemus 
as  If  he  were  a  child  at  his  knee,  beginning  the 
great  lesson  with  "Once  upon  a  time";  for  so  the 
most  wonderful  of  truths  Is  made  clear  to  the 
simplest  of  minds. 

Did  NIcodemus  see  It?  Apparently  not  for 
three  long  years.  No  doubt  he  often  thought  of 
that  kindergarten  lesson  In  the  upper  room;  but 
he  did  not  understand  the  analogy  of  the  serpent 
In  the  wilderness  until,  at  length,  he  stood  beneath 
the  cross;  and  then  he  saw  It!  And  as  a  little 
child,  believing  in  the  great  salvation,  he  entered 
by  faith  in  Christ  Into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

In  one  of  Mr.  Moody's  after-meetings  a  man 
said  to  him,  "I  am  in  trouble  about  my  soul;  what 
shall  I  do?"  Mr.  Moody  read  him  the  story  of 
the  Crucifixion ;  but  before  he  had  finished  the  man 
cried,  "I  am  a  Jew !     I  do  not  believe  in  Jesus  of 


His  Atoning  Work  211 

Nazareth.  He  was  not  the  Messiah;  and  I  will 
not  so  receive  him."  Mr.  Moody  said,  "Very 
well;  let  me  read  you  something  else."  He  turned 
to  the  story  of  Moses  and  the  brazen  serpent. 
The  man  said,  "I  beheve  that;  but  I  don't  see  how 
it  affects  my  case.''  Then  Mr.  Moody  read  the 
story  of  this  interview  of  Christ  with  Nicodemus; 
and  when  he  concluded,  the  inquirer  said,  with  the 
light  of  salvation  in  his  eyes,  "I  see  It!  This  is 
the  Christ  of  God!  God  did  so  love  the  world 
that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son  to  redeem  it!" 


HIS   ROYAL    SEAL 


The  night. — The  morning. — Resurrection  light  on  the 
Birth. — Its  light  on  the  Cross. — Its  light  on  the 
Bible. — Its  light  on  the  Church. — Its  light  on 
Christian  life. — The  Hope  of  the  world. 

The  night. — It  was  a  doleful  night  In  the  Vale 
of  Weeping.  The  disciples  had  hoped  all  along 
that  Christ  would  restore  the  glory  to  Israel;  but, 
alas,  he  was  dead !  He  was  lying  In  a  rock-hewn 
sepulcher  with  his  hands  folded  over  his  breast. 
The  eyes  that  had  looked  on  suffering  with  divine 
compassion  were  closed.  The  gracious  lips  that 
had  spoken  as  never  man  spake  were  dumb.  The 
feet  that  had  gone  about  on  errands  of  mercy  were 
wrapped  In  red-stained  cerecloth.  Greatheart  was 
dead! 

The  silence  of  the  night  without  the  sepulcher 
was  broken  only  by  the  footfall  of  sentinels  pac- 
ing to  and  fro.  On  a  sudden  the  earth  began  to 
trem.ble;  a  great  light  shone  from  heaven  and  the 
soldiers  fell  as  dead  men.  A  troop  of  angels  ap- 
peared and  rolled  the  stone  away;  and  he  came 
forth,  wiping  the  death-dew  from  his  brow. 

212 


His  Royal  Seal  213 

The  morning.— Now  look  yonder!  Over  the 
heights  of  Bethshemesh  there  Is  a  glimmering  of 
dawn;  a  golden  mist  is  rising  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean; and  behold,  the  sun  "flames  in  the  fore- 
head of  the  morning  sky."     Oh,  glorious  sun! 

In  the  light  of  that  morning  the  world  has  been 
growing  brighter  all  along  the  succeeding  ages.  In 
Its  light  the  children  of  sorrow  have  caught  the 
glow  of  a  blessed  hereafter  and  conceived  a  "hope 
That  putteth  not  to  shame."  In  its  light  we  find 
the  solution  of  every  problem  that  has  to  do  with 
everlasting  life. 

*'  How  calm  and  beautiful  the  morn 

That  gilds  the  sacred  tomb 
Where  Christ  the  crucified  was  borne 

And  veiled  in  midnight  gloom  1' 
The  gates  of  death  were  closed  in  vain ; 
The  Lord  is  risen ;  he  lives  again  !  ' ' 

Resurrection  light  on  the  Birth.— The  Child 
wrapped  in  swaddling-bands  was  he  of  whom  it 
once  had  been  written,  "Behold,  the  virgin  shall  be 
with  child,  and  shall  bring  forth  a  Son,  and  they 
shall  call  his  name  Immanuel:  which  is,  being  In- 
terpreted, God  with  us."  Is  it  a  mystery?  Yes, 
surely,  "Great  Is  the  mystery  of  godliness.  He 
who  was  manifested  in  the  flesh," — "which  things 
angels  desire  to  look  Into."  No  mortal  mind  can 
explain  how  Godhood  and  manhood  are  inter- 
woven, as  warp  and  woof,  in  the  person  of  this 
only-begotten  Son.     However,  the  world  is  full  of 


214       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

inexplicable  mysteries  which  are  nevertheless  indis- 
putable facts. 

But  is  the  Incarnation  such  a  fact?  Was  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  what  he  claimed  to  be?  "I  adjure 
thee,  by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us  whether 
thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God."  So  de- 
manded the  High  Priest,  and  his  challenge  finds 
an  echo  in  the  experience  of  all  thoughtful  men. 
*'Show  us  a  sign,"  cried  the  rabbis;  and  the  heart 
of  the  world  responds,  "Show  us  a  sign,  whether 
thou  be  the  Christ  or  not." 

His  answer  is  forthcoming:  "There  shall  no 
sign  be  given  but  the  sign  of  Jonah  the  prophet; 
for  as  Jonah  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in 
the  belly  of  the  whale,  so  shall  the  Son  of  Man 
be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the 
earth."  So  be  it.  We  will  take  him  at  his  word. 
He  proposes  to  vanquish  death  and  thus  vindicate 
his  claim. 

If  he  can  do  this  it  will  place  him  in  a  category 
by  himself  alone,  absolutely  alone,  as  the  one  sole 
conqueror  of  death. 

Once  on  a  time  there  lived  a  man  named  Caesar, 
who  led  a  campaign  of  undisputed  conquest  until 
he  met  the  King  of  Terrors  and  lay  down  to  die. 
Once  on  a  time  there  was  a  man  named  Alexander, 
who  dreamed  of  universal  empire  and,  having 
reahzed  his  dream,  met  the  King  of  Terrors  and 
lay  down  to  die.  Once  on  a  time  there  was  a  man 
named  Napoleon,  at  the  raising  of  whose  hand 
thrones   and   dynasties  trembled   and  tottered  to 


His  Royal  Seal  215 

their  fall;  but  he,  too,  met  the  King  of  Terrors 
and,  without  a  word,  bowed  low  before  him.  Once 
on  a  time  there  was  a  man  who  led  the  armies  of 
our  Republic  to  a  victory  unparalleled  In  the  his- 
tory of  the  world;  but  he  lies  yonder  In  his  mauso- 
lem  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson,  with  no  more 
power  than  the  "Amiable  Child"  who  sleeps  be- 
neath the  shadow  of  his  tomb. 

' '  Where  are  the  heroes  of  ages  past  ? 
All  to  the  grave  gone  down !    The  warrior's  arm 
Lies  nerveless  on  the  pillow  of  its  fame. 
Hushed  is  his  stormy  voice  and  quenched 
Is  the  blaze  of  his  red  eyeball.    Yesterday 
His  name  was  mighty  in  the  earth. 
To-day,  'tis  what?" 

Who,  then,  shall  dispute  with  Death?  Death 
has  the  right  of  way.  Always?  Nay,  not  in 
Joseph's  garden.  Here  Christ  meets  Death  and 
vanquishes  him.  In  the  darkness  of  the  sepulcher 
he  fights  his  battle  singlehanded  and  comes  forth 
crying,  "O  death,  where  Is  thy  victory?  O  death, 
where  is  thy  sting?" 

The  sign  is  fulfilled.  Jonah  is  delivered  from 
the  belly  of  hell!  Thus  does  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
vindicate  his  right  to  the  name  "Immanuel"  which 
was  written  on  his  swaddling-bands.  For  by  his 
resurrection  he  hath  shown  himself  with  power  to 
be  the  veritable  Son  of  God. 

Its  light  on  the  Cross. — On  Its  transverse  beam 
Is  Inscribed  "Jesus."     The  claim  of  redemption  is 


2i6       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

in  that  word.  For  it  was  written,  "Thou  shalt  call 
his  name  Jesus,  for  it  is  he  that  shall  save  his 
people  from  their  sins."  No  other  of  the  children 
of  men  has  ever  put  forth  such  a  stupendous  claim. 
He  said  of  himself:  "The  Son  of  Man  hath  au- 
thority on  earth  to  forgive  sins."  The  reason  why 
he  could  forgive  sins  was  because  he  "bare  our 
sins  in  his  own  body  upon  the  tree."  But  how 
shall  we  know  that  his  death  has  such  saving 
value  in  the  sight  of  God? 

It  all  depends  on  the  miracle  of  his  resurrection. 
Show  us  the  sign!  For  "if  Christ  hath  not  been 
raised  then  is  our  preaching  vain;  your  faith  also 
is  vain;  .  .  .  ye  are  yet  in  your  sins."  He  affirms 
that  he  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost  all  that 
will  believe  in  him.     Let  him  prove  it ! 

How  did  the  Philistines  learn  that  Samson  was 
the  unconquerable  champion  of  Israel?  They  shut 
him  up  within  the  gates  of  Gaza;  they  fastened 
the  bolts  and  compassed  him  about  with  guards; 
and  lo,  he  "arose  at  midnight,  and  laid  hold  of  the 
doors  of  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  the  two  posts, 
and  plucked  them  up  .  .  .  and  carried  them  up 
to  the  top  of  the  mountain  that  is  before  Hebron." 
At  the  break  of  day  the  Philistines  saw  him  yon- 
der, leaning  on  their  gates  and  bars  and  laughing 
at  their  discomfiture. 

So  do  we  learn  the  redeeming  power  of  God's 
only-begotten  Son.  His  soul  could  not  be  kept 
within  the  gates  of  Sheol.  He  came  forth  with  the 
keys  at  his  girdle.     Thus  the  Yea  and  Amen  of 


His  Royal  Seal  217 

God  was  put  upon  his  power  to  save.  And  now  I 
know!  "I  know  him  whom  I  have  believed;  and 
am  persuaded  that  he  Is  able  to  keep  that  which  I 
have  committed  unto  him  against  that  day!" 

Its  light  on  the  Bible.— It  Is  the  one  Book  of 
all  the  sacred  books  of  the  world  that  has  to  do 
with  everlasting  life.  In  the  Analects  of  Confu- 
cius you  will  find  an  elaborate  code  of  ethics  bear- 
ing on  all  the  relations  of  the  present  life.  When 
Confucius  was  asked  why  he  had  nothing  to  say 
of  Immortality  he  answered:  "I  cannot  say 
whether  there  Is  anything  beyond  or  not;  but  I 
know  that  we  are  living  here  and  now;  and  it  de- 
volves upon  us  to  make  the  most  of  ourselves  and 
do  the  best  for  this  present  world  as  we  pass 
through  it."  A  sound  philosophy,  do  you  say? 
Yes,  if  a  man  be  no  better  than  a  sheep;  but  not 
for  you  and  me. 

The  Bible  Is  the  Book  of  the  Endless  Life.  It 
treats  man  not  as  an  ephemera  living  for  a  hand- 
breadth  of  time,  but  as  a  child  of  God,  made  In  his 
likeness  and  after  his  image,  and  destined  to  live 
forever.  It  treats  death  not  as  a  fatal  accident  but 
as  merely  an  incident  in  life.  Does  death  end  all? 
Not  In  the  philosophy  of  this  Book.  Death  ends 
nothing;  It  begins  all.  Life  here  Is  merely  the 
vestibule  in  which  we  robe  ourselves  for  the  life 
farther  on. 

And  this  Book  of  the  Endless  Life  Is  also  the 
Biography    of    the    Lord    of    Life.    He    walks 


21 8       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

through  Its  pages  hke  a  king  through  the  corridors 
of  his  palace,  from  its  opening  prophecy  of  the 
Seed  of  Woman  to  its  last  vision  of  the  Sun  o£ 
Righteousness  arising  with  healing  in  his  wings. 
And  always  he  walks  as  the  Lord  of  Life. 

So  when  by  his  resurrection  he  vindicates  his  au- 
thority as  the  Incarnate  Word  of  God  he,  at  the 
same  time,  vindicates  the  authority  of  the  written 
Word.  The  Bible  and  his  resurrection  go  hand 
In  hand.  Find  me  a  man  who  disbelieves  this  Book 
and  I  will  show  you  one  who  lifts  his  eyebrows  at 
the  resurrection  of  Christ.  In  these  days  of  bibli- 
cal controversy,  when  all  sorts  of  arguments  are 
presented  pro  and  contra,  let  this  fact  be  deeply 
emphasized:  that,  when  all  is  said  and  done,  the 
ultimate  and  incontrovertible  argument  for  the 
truth  of  Scripture  Is  In  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
as  the  Incarnate  Word  and  therefore  the  living 
complement  of  the  Written  Word  of  God. 

Its  light  on  the  Church. — The  Church  Is  found- 
ed upon  the  proposition,  ''Thou  art  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God."  If  that  can  be  demon- 
strated, the  Church  with  Its  propaganda  has  a 
reason  for  life.  Otherwise  It  has  none.  For  if 
Christ  be  not  risen  our  preaching  Is  vain. 

*'  Heavy  fall  the  shadows  on  the  dim  horizon: 

Veiled  the  starry  eyes  from  wistful  eyes  below; 
Cold  and  still  thou  liest  In  thine  earthly  prison; 
Whither,  Lord  and  Master,  whither  shall  we  go?*' 


His  Royal  Seal  219 

It  Is  not  surprising  that  Peter  and  his  fellow- 
disciples  lost  heart  after  the  crucifixion.  He  said, 
"I  go  a  fishing,"  and  they  said,  "We  also  come 
with  thee."  Why  not?  Why  should  they  con- 
tinue their  itineraries  among  the  villages  of  Gali- 
lee preaching  the  saving  power  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ  if  he  himself  had  gone  the  way  of  all  flesh? 
Their  occupation  was  truly  at  an  end;  and  there 
was  nothing  left  but  to  return  to  their  boats  and 
nets.  But  when  they  met  Christ  face  to  face  and 
knew  that  he  who  had  been  dead  was  living  and 
alive  forevermore,  they  were  straightway  baptized 
with  power  and  enthusiasm  and  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  gospel,  because  there  was  substantial 
ground  for  it. 

Nor  is  it  surprising  that  Paul,  as  inquisitor  of 
the  Sanhedrin,  went  up  and  down  breathing  slaugh- 
ter against  the  followers  of  Christ.  Why  not? 
He  verily  thought  that  he  was  doing  God's  service; 
for  to  his  mind  the  death  of  Christ  had  proven  the 
falsity  of  his  claim;  so  that  his  gospel  was  a  mani- 
fest imposture.  Was  ever  a  man  so  taken  aback 
as  he  when  he  met  the  living  Christ  on  that  jour- 
ney down  to  Damascus?  Right  about  face,  now! 
There  was  no  alternative  for  the  conscientious 
man.  He  saw  that  the  Saviourship  of  Jesus  had 
been  verified  by  his  triumph  over  death.  What 
could  he  do  thenceforth  but  go  everywhere  pro- 
claiming, "Jesus  ...  Is  the  Son  of  God" ! 

And  this  is  the  commission  of  the  Church. 
"Woe  Is  unto  me  If  I  preach  not  the  gospel !"    The 


220       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

gospel  Is  true;  and  the  obligation  of  truth  is  upon 
every  man  and  woman  in  this  world  of  ours. 
Wherefore  go  tell  all  people  that  Christ  is  risen 
from  the  dead  and  that  he  hath  power  on  earth 
to  forgive  sin ! 

Its  light  on  Christian  life. — The  promise  of 
Christ  is,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always.  ...  I  will 
not  leave  you  comfortless;  I  will  come  again." 
What  does  that  mean? 

In  some  quarters  there  is  an  effort  to  explain  it 
away  as  a  reference  to  his  influential  presence.  We 
hear  much  also  of  the  "immanence"  of  Christ.  I 
do  not  like  the  word  "immanence"  in  this  connec- 
tion. It  has  a  cold,  mechanical  sound.  It  suggests 
the  enveloping  atmosphere,  which  presses  upon  us 
always  with  a  power  of  fifteen  pounds  to  the  square 
inch  or  thereabouts.  This  is  not  the  meaning  of 
Christ  in  the  promise  referred  to:  he  said  precisely 
what  he  meant,  namely,  that  he  would  be  person- 
ally with  us.  And  he  is  thus  with  us  as  our 
friend  and  counsellor  and  guide.  He  links  arms 
with  us,  as  it  were,  and  walks  beside  us  in  all  our 
journey  through  the  Valley  of  Tears,  through  the 
Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death,  through  the  gates 
into  the  Heavenly  City. 

The  Hope  of  the  World. — Thus  it  appears  that 
all  that  makes  life  worth  living  is  emphasized  and 
glorified  by  this  great  miracle. 


His  Royal  Seal  221 

If  Christ  be  not  risen,  we  are  bereaved  indeed! 
*'If  we  have  only  hoped  in  this  life  in  Christ,  we 
are  of  all  men  most  pitiable." 

The  soul  of  Mary  Magdala  was  cast  down 
within  her  while  Jesus  lay  In  his  sepulcher.  He 
had  been  her  dearest  friend.  He  had  lent  a  help- 
ing hand  to  lift  her  from  the  deepest  mire.  And 
he  was  dead!  It  was  as  If  the  light  of  her  eyes 
had  gone  out.  Thus  she  lingered  at  the  empty 
grave  when  the  other  women  had  gone  their  way. 
Hearing  a  footstep  behind  her  she  turned  and, 
seeing  with  her  tear-dimmed  eyes  a  man  whom  she 
supposed  to  be  the  gardener,  she  cried,  "Sir,  if 
thou  hast  borne  him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast 
laid  him."  He  spoke — a  word  only,  a  word  where- 
at the  currents  of  her  life  went  surging  hot  and 
fast:  "Mary!"  Hope,  happiness,  heaven,  all 
sprang  to  life  again;  and  falling  at  his  feet  she 
cried,  "Rabboni !"  that  is  to  say,  "My  Master!" 
Thus  the  hope  of  the  resurrection  morning  trans- 
lates itself  at  once  into  happiness  and  usefulness. 
Our  profession  of  faith  can  find  no  deeper  or 
higher  expression  than  this,  "My  Master!" 

God  help  us  to  keep  our  windows  open  toward 
the  East.  Break,  O  morning  of  the  resurrection, 
upon  our  souls,  too  often  overwhelmed  by  sordid 
doubts  and  fears!  Dawn  upon  the  universal 
Church  that  it  may  go  forth  conquering  and  to 
conquer  in  the  name  of  the  risen  Christ.  Shine 
into  the  trysting  places  whqre  we  make  our  feeble 


222       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

prayers,  and  give  us  faith  to  realize  that  he  ever 
llveth  to  make  Intercession  for  us !  Shine  Into  our 
night  of  sorrow  that,  looking  from  the  darkness 
of  an  open  grave  to  the  glory  of  the  open  heavens, 
we  may  praise  him  In  whom  life  and  Immortality 
are  brought  to  light !  Blessed  be  God  for  the  day- 
break of  the  resurrection.    Oh,  glorious  sun ! 


HIS   INFLUENCE 


Two  streams. — "  The  words  of  Jesus  prove  his  life." — 
The  proof  of  the  Christian  home. — The  proof  of  the 
workshop. — The  exchange. — The  schoolhouse. — 
The  hospital.— The  State.—The  Church.— The 
Christian  himself. — The  vital  question. 

Two  streams. — The  history  of  the  last  nineteen 
centuries  has  been  marked  by  the  flow  of  two 
parallel  but  discordant  rivers.  One  Is  the  River 
of  Gospel  Truth  which  takes  Its  rise  at  Bethlehem 
and,  with  the  beauty  of  heaven  reflected  on  Its 
placid  surface,  moves  ever  on  toward  a  boundless 
sea.  The  other  Is  the  River  of  Antichrist,  having 
Its  source  by  the  gate  of  Bethlehem,  but  pursuing 
Its  way  like  an  underground  river  which  appears 
and  disappears  and  reappears  at  intervals  in  ever- 
varying  forms.  Now  It  Is  called  Atheism,  and 
again  Pantheism,  or  Gnosticism,  or  Agnosticism, 
or  Nihilism,  or  Secularism,  or  Rationalism,  or 
Materialism,  or  Fatalism,  or  Transcendentalism; 
but,  whatever  Its  name,  it  is  always  the  same  River 
of  Antichrist;  and  its  current,  whether  calm  or 
turbulent,  ever  speaks  with  the  same  voice,  "Away 
with  this  Jesus  which  is  called  the  Christ!" 

This  opposition  to  Christ  reached  its  maximum 

223 


224       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

In  the  Infidelity  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  It 
was  championed  In  Great  Britain  by  Hume  and 
Gibbon,  In  France  by  Voltaire  and  Rousseau,  and 
In  America  by  Thomas  Paine  and  his  coterie  of 
friends.  Its  chief  advocate  In  Germany  was  Im- 
manuel  Kant,  who  called  his  philosophy  "Tran- 
scendental Idealism."  He  began  with  a  denial  of 
the  supernatural,  which  of  course  ruled  out  the  en- 
tire teaching  of  Christ,  Including  Immortality  and 
a  personal  God.  The  keynote  was  thus  struck  for 
Germany,  which  then  became  the  world's  center 
of  Infidelity  and  has  so  continued  even  to  this 
day. 

In  the  universities  of  that  country  there  are  ap- 
proximately thirty  thousand  students,  of  whom 
three  hundred  or  more  are  Americans.  These  stu- 
dents return  in  due  time  equipped  with  a  supply 
of  dream-spun  theories  "made  In  Germany,"  to  be 
exploited  and  oftentimes  approved  over  here  after 
they  have  been  decently  Interred  on  their  native 
heath.  The  trouble  is  that  we  Americans  take  such 
speculations  too  seriously.  In  Utopia  phantoms  are 
facts  and  speculation  Is  diversion;  but  In  America 
we  frivol  away  valuable  time  and  energy  In  the 
vain  endeavor  to  adjust  air-castles  to  the  uses  of 
practical  life. 

In  1835  a  "Life  of  Jesus"  was  published  by 
David  Strauss  of  the  University  of  Tubingen  In 
which  he  advanced  what  is  known  as  "the  mythi- 
cal theory"  of  the  gospel.  He  assumed  that  Jesus 
was  probably  a  good  man,  but  undertook  to  show 


His  Influence  225 

that  the  gospel  records  are  a  mere  fabric  of  myths, 
composed  by  the  Infatuated  friends  of  Jesus  a  cen- 
tury or  more  after  his  death.  The  book  created 
a  sensation,  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  theory  was 
easily  exploded  by  demonstrated  facts;  but,  alas, 
"the  evil  a  man  does  lives  after  him." 

The  climax  of  German  infidelity  was  reached 
when  Professor  Drews  of  the  University  of  Berlin 
delivered  a  course  of  lectures  to  prove  that  "Jesus 
never  lived."  The  late  Mrs.  Eddy  never  made 
a  more  grotesque  draught  on  the  possibilities  of 
human  credulity.  It  was  no  wonder  that  even  the 
"Moderates"  of  Germany  were  moved  to  call  a 
halt.  An  assembly  was  convened  in  Berlin  to 
formulate  a  protest.  Ten  thousand  people  came 
together;  the  meeting  was  opened  with  Luther's 
hymn,  "A  Mighty  Fortress  is  Our  God,"  and  all 
united  In  repeating  the  Confession  of  Faith.  The 
Kaiser  v/as  not  present,  but  he  sent  a  salutation 
which  began  thus:  "Tell  the  people  that  the  words 
of  Jesus  prove  his  life.  His  teaching  lives  in  our 
hearts  to-day  as  in  the  hearts  of  the  simple  fisher- 
men vvho  heard  it  nineteen  hundred  years  ago." 

"The  v/ords  of  Jesus  proves  his  life." — In  that 
statement  we  have  a  proposition  of  far-reaching 
significance.  For  "words  are  things,"  as  Carlyle 
was  fond  of  saying;  and  in  the  logic  of  events  the 
words  of  Jesus  have  been  crystallized  into  insti- 
tutions; and  institutions  are  facts  which  cannot 
easily  be  disposed  of. 


226       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

Christ  himself  said,  "Heaven  and  earth  shall 
pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away." 
So  far  from  "passing  away,"  they  have  furnished 
the  mighty  factors  in  the  progress  of  the  ages. 
Things  do  not  stand  alone.  "Out  of  nothing  noth- 
ing comes."  Movements  are  not  automatic;  there 
is  always  something  or  somebody  behind  them. 
The  man  who  believes  in  "perpetual  motion"  is 
either  a  dreamer  or  a  simpleton. 

If  the  story  of  Jesus  is  a  conglomeration  of 
myths,  who  invented  them?  If  Christ  himself  is 
a  myth,  how  did  he  ever  come  to  be  what  he  is  in 
this  world  of  ours?  Theodore  Parker  was  an 
avowed  unbeliever,  but  he  drew  the  line  at  this 
point,  saying,  "Jesus  must  be  measured  by  the 
shadow  he  has  cast  upon  the  world;  no,  rather,  by 
the  light  he  has  shed  upon  it.  Shall  we  be  told 
that  such  a  man  never  lived?  Suppose  that  Plato 
and  Newton  never  lived;  then  who  did  their  works 
and  thought  their  thoughts?  It  would  take  a 
Newton  to  forge  a  Newton.  What  man  could 
have  fabricated  a  Jesus?    None  but  a  Jesus." 

We  deal  with  things  as  they  are.  Not  theories 
but  conditions  confront  us.  The  words  of  Jesus 
have,  in  the  process  of  the  centuries,  developed  into 
certain  institutions  which  cannot  be  flippantly 
bowed  out  of  court,  but  must  be  accounted  for. 

The  proof  of  the  Christian  home. — This  has  crys- 
tallized around  the  word  of  Jesus  which  he 
addressed  to  the  Seventy  on  their  itinerary:  "Into 


His  Influence  227 

whatsoever  house  ye  enter,  first  say,  'Peace  be  to 
this  house!'  " 

It  Is  not  affirmed  that  there  were  no  households 
before  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era;  but  It 
Is  affirmed  that  this  word  of  Jesus  makes  a  home 
of  a  house. 

Let  us  enter  a  Christian  home  and  look  about 
us.  The  man,  as  head  of  the  family.  Is  no  longer 
an  arbitrary  despot  as  he  used  to  be.  In  a  Roman 
household  he  had  practically  the  power  of  life  and 
death;  here  he  is  the  "house-band,"  bound  to  his 
wife  by  the  indissoluble  tie  of  wedlock,  as  the 
Master  said,  "What  therefore  God  hath  joined  to- 
gether let  not  man  put  asunder." 

And  the  woman — what  of  her?  There  has  been 
a  stupendous  change  In  the  status  of  womanhood 
since  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era.  A  wife 
is  no  longer  the  abject  slave  of  her  husband  or  his 
fair-weather  toy.  She  no  longer  counts  and  pub- 
lishes her  divorces  by  the  rings  on  her  fingers.  If 
her  rights  are  denied  she  can  at  least  clamor  for 
them.  The  crooked  woman  who  appealed  to  Jesus 
in  the  Synagogue  has  at  length  been  "loosed  of 
her  Infirmities."  The  names  "wife"  and  "mother" 
have  been  sanctified  by  the  fact  that  "the  God  of 
all  good  Christians  was  of  a  woman  born." 

And  what  about  the  children  ?  The  light  of  the 
gospel  has  fallen  also  upon  them.  The  mind  of  the 
civilized  world  is  enlisted  to-day  In  behalf  of  the 
little  people.  We  cannot  forget  that  Christ  took 
a  child  upon  his  knee  and  said,  "To  such  belongeth 


228       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

the  kingdom  of  heaven,'^  and  "Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  except  ye  turn,  and  become  as  little  children,  ye 
shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'* 
The  atmosphere  of  the  home  circle  has  been 
changed  every  way.  How  shall  we  account  for  it? 
Things  when  left  to  themselves  do  not  move  for- 
ward but  backward.  The  law  of  society,  like  the 
law  of  nature.  Is  "reversion  to  type";  that  is,  back 
to  primitive  barbarism.  The  evolution  of  the 
modern  home,  with  all  Its  happy  and  blessed  asso- 
ciations. Is  accounted  for  when  we  lift  our  eyes 
and  see  Christ  standing  In  the  doorway  and  hear 
him  saying,  "Peace  be  to  this  house!" 

The  proof  of  the  workshop.— Here  Is  another 
of  the  institutional  facts  of  our  time  which  must 
be  accounted  for.  It  crystallizes  around  that 
epoch-making  word  of  Jesus,  "The  laborer  is 
worthy  of  his  hire." 

We  do  not  say  that  there  were  no  workers  nine- 
teen centuries  ago;  but  we  insist  that  there  was  no 
such  toller  as  the  handicraftsman  of  these  days. 

In  Rome  there  were  three  classes :  the  patricians, 
who  monopolized  all  wealth  with  Its  concomitants; 
the  plebeians,  who  lived  on  the  congiaria  or  char- 
ity of  the  State;  and  the  multitude  of  slaves,  re- 
cruited from  the  conquered  nations  who  passed 
under  the  yoke.  These  slaves  were  the  workmen. 
A  plebeian  refused  to  work,  because  that  was  the 
business  of  bondmen.     And  the  toiler  received  no 


His  Influence  229 

wage;   only  his   ''keep,"   and  possibly  a  douceur 
which  was  thrown  like  a  bone  to  a  dog. 

Go  Into  the  workshop  now  and  look  at  the  man 
at  the  bench.  He  Is  a  self-respecting  man.  He 
works  not  for  a  "tip"  or  a  douceur^  but  for  a  quid 
pro  quo;  not  for  "bed  and  board,"  but  for  an  ade- 
quate wage.  He  Is  a  free  man;  insomuch  that  If 
his  wages  are  not  satisfactory  he  can  "strike"  If 
need  be.  Was  there  ever  a  strike  in  the  brickyards 
of  Egypt?  Was  there  ever  a  strike  among  the 
slaves  who  built  the  palaces  of  Rome?  The  very 
excesses  of  our  labor-unions  are  evidence  of  the 
fact  that,  for  some  reason,  the  cause  of  industry 
has  moved  grandly  on.  Slaves  have  gone  out  of 
fashion.  The  man  at  the  bench  has  broken  his 
shackles. 

*'  His  brow  is  wet  with  honest  sweat; 
He  earns  whate'er  he  can; 
And  looks  the  whole  world  in  the  face, 
For  he  owes  not  any  man. ' ' 

There  is  something  behind  all  this.  What  Is 
It?  The  word  that  was  spoken  by  Jesus,  "The 
laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,"  struck  a  new  chord 
in  the  solution  of  the  Industrial  problem.  The 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  who  made  plows  for  the 
Judean  farmers  and  mended  rickety  furniture  for 
the  housewives  of  the  village,  has  dignified  labor 
through  all  the  ages. 


230       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

The  exchange  Is  another  Institution  which  must 
be  accounted  for.  And  the  word  of  Jesus  around 
which  It  has  crystaUIzed  is  that  which  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  man  who  buried  his  one  talent  In 
the  ground:  "Thou  oughtest  therefore  to  have 
put  my  money  to  the  bankers;  and  at  my  coming 
I  should  have  received  back  mine  own  with  In- 
terest." 

It  would  appear  from  these  words  that  there  was 
an  exchange  in  those  days;  but  it  was  not  like  the 
exchange  of  our  time.  The  business  of  the  mar- 
ketplace was  done  with  shekels  and  denarii,  or  in 
the  bartering  of  one  commodity  for  another.  Go 
into  any  of  our  bourses  or  exchanges  now  and 
you  will  find  a  different  order  of  things.  What 
are  these  bits  of  paper  passing  from  hand  to  hand? 
Not  cash,  but  I.  O.  U's :  bonds,  debentures,  prom- 
issory notes,  certifying  to  the  confidence  of  men  In 
their  fellow-men. 

The  banking  system  is  a  product  of  the  Chris- 
tian era.  The  only  place  of  safe  deposit  In  ancient 
times  was  a  hole  in  the  ground  or  a  chamber  in 
the  wall.  The  talent  of  our  commercial  life  is 
no  longer  buried  In  the  ground,  but  put  into  cir- 
culation to  make  an  Income  for  the  trustee  and  due 
interest  for  its  owner.  And  the  owner  In  every 
case  Is  God. 

The  talent  was  characterized  by  Christ  as  "my 
money,"  and  the  man  to  whom  it  was  entrusted 
was  bound,  as  a  faithful  steward,  to  "put  it  to  the 
bankers."     It  Is  this  circulation  of  the  talent,  on 


His  Influence  231 

the  basis  of  mutual  confidence,  that  makes  the 
world  go  around.  And  this  Is  In  pursuance  of  the 
teaching  of  Christ,  whose  gospel  rings  with  the 
double  duty  of  an  interchange  of  confidence  and 
loyalty  to  God. 

The  schoolhouse  too  is  the  crystallization  of 
that  great  word  of  Jesus,  "I  am  the  Truth." 

Oh,  yes,  there  were  schools  and  schoolhouses 
before  the  Christian  era ;  but  In  so  far  as  the  uni- 
versal diffusion  of  truth  was  concerned,  they  were 
limited  to  the  narrowest  spheres  and  their  influence 
was  like  those  flashes  of  electric  light  which  merely 
serve  to  make  visible  the  darkness  of  origmal 
chaos.  The  advent  of  Christ  was  the  rising  of  a 
sun  with  healing  in  its  wings.  His  word,  "I  am 
the  Truth,"  was  a  sonorous  echo  of  the  creative 
edict,  "Let  there  be  light!"  ^ 

The  problem  of  universal  education  is  being 
solved  along  the  line  of  Christian  progress.  Wher- 
ever the  gospel  has  gone  the  schoolmaster  has  gone 
with  it.  And  from  the  Kindergarten  to  the  Uni- 
versity the  text-books  of  the  civilized  world  are  full 
of  gospel  truth.  The  masterpieces  of  art,  the 
great  oratorios,  the  triumphs  of  science  and  philos- 
ophy, the  laws  and  jurisprudence  of  nations,  the 
practice  of  medicine,  and  the  entire  literature  of 
the  world  are  so  permeated  with  the  gospel  that 
to  omit  Christ  and  his  teachings  would  be  to  utterly 
eviscerate  them.  All  truth  centers  in  him  who 
said,  "I  am  the  Truth;  and  the  uplift  of  the  peo- 


232       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

pie  in  general  enlightenment  is  proof  demonstrative 
of  the  vital  influence  of  Him  who  said,  "I  am  the 
Light  of  the  world!" 

The  hospital. — Here  is  an  institution  which  is, 
by  common  consent,  one  of  the  distinctive  marks 
of  our  civilization.  It  has  crystallized  about  this 
word  of  Jesus,  "The  Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be 
ministered  unto  but  to  minister."  It  stands  for 
the  self-denying  charity  of  men  toward  their  fel- 
low-men. 

Were  there  no  hospitals  before  Christ?  A  few 
weeks  ago  I  spent  a  day  among  the  ruins  of  Pom- 
peii, which  was  one  of  the  fashionable  resorts  of 
that  time.  I  saw  there  the  ruins  of  homes,  palaces, 
forums,  wine-shops  and  dens  of  iniquity,  but  no- 
where the  trace  of  a  House  of  Mercy. 

The  best  hospital  of  those  days  was  down  by 
the  Sheep-Market  in  Jerusalem  where  the  friend- 
less sick  were  laid  in  open  porches  to  await  the 
moving  of  the  waters  of  an  intermittent  spring. 
The  beggar  sat  with  outstretched  hands  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Temple  or  the  gateway  of  the  rich 
man.  The  Magdalene  was  left  to  the  cold  mercy 
of  the  streets.  Now  the  lazaretto  has  been  sup- 
planted by  the  hospital;  the  aged  and  helpless,  the 
widow  and  orphan,  are  cared  for;  and  everywhere 
in  Christendom  they  are  systematically  cared  for. 

The  Golden  Rule  of  Christ  is  regnant  in  the 
world.  There  is  a  new  spirit  of  humanity  among 
us.     It  is  the  spirit  of  ministration;  the  law  of 


His  Influence  233 

Christianized  society  is  the  royal  law  of  Christ. 
"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens."  The  man  whose 
life  is  controlled  by  the  maxim,  "Look  out  for 
number  one,"  is  giving  place  to  another  and  a  bet- 
ter man  who  follows  Christ,  whether  consciously 
or  not,  in  looking  out  for  number  two  and  lend- 
ing a  helping  hand  to  the  other  man. 

The  State  is  among  the  greatest  of  our  institu- 
tions. It  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  words  of  Jesus, 
"Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's; 
and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's." 

This  was  spoken  in  connection  with  the  tribute 
money.  "Show  me  the  tribute  money,"  said  he; 
"whose  is  this  image  and  superscription?"  And 
they  answered,  "Caesar's";  whereupon  he  said, 
"Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's"; 
that  is,  pay  your  capitation  tax;  in  other  words,  be 
a  loyal  citizen,  because  the  State  is  ordained  of 
God. 

There  were  Governments  before  Christ;  but 
what  were  they?  Lax  democracies,  tyrannical  oli- 
garchies or  arbitrary  sovereignties.  By  the  far- 
reaching  word  of  Jesus  the  institution  of  Govern- 
ment was  put  upon  an  entirely  new  and  rational 
basis.  On  the  one  hand  it  was  founded  in  the  ordi- 
nance of  God,  and  on  the  other  on  the  consent  of 
the  governed.  In  those  two  facts  Government 
finds  its  sanction  and  assumes  the  responsibility  of 
law,  order,  and  the  vindication  of  the  rights  of  all. 

Ask  the  Kaiser  whether  Jesus  ever  lived,  and 


234       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

his  answer  Is  Germany.  Ask  the  President  of  our 
Republic  whether  Jesus  ever  hved;  and  he  would 
reply,  'Why,  certainly;  else  I  would  never  have 
been  here  and  this  country  would  not  be  what  It 
Is." 

The  men  who  governed  Rome  were  Invested 
with  despotic  power.  The  last  of  such  sovereigns 
In  Christendom  Is  the  Russian  Czar;  and  to-day  the 
Douma  is  convened  about  him.  There  is  not  a  na- 
tion in  the  civilized  world  without  a  Parliament; 
which  means  that  the  two  great  principles  of  gov- 
ernment which  were  enunciated  by  Jesus  are  domi- 
nant everywhere  except  In  the  regions  of  darkness 
and  the  shadow  of  death.  The  time  is  not  far  dis- 
tant when  the  fifty  Parliaments  of  the  world  will 
sit  together  and  take  counsel  for  universal  peace; 
and  in  that  council  the  ruling  Diplomat  will  have 
upon  his  vesture  and  his  thigh  a  name  written, 
"The  Prince  of  Peace";  for  it  is  under  the  in- 
fluence of  his  word  that  the  nations  are  approach- 
ing the  ultimate  Commonwealth  of  God. 

The  Church.— What  shall  be  said  of  that?  It  is 
surely  an  Institution  which  must  be  reckoned  with. 
It  stands  for  five  hundred  millions  of  people  In  the 
world  to-day !  It  has  crystallized  around  the  word 
of  Jesus,  "And  when  ye  pray  say.  Thy  kingdom 
come." 

It  Is  not  affirmed  that  the  Church,  as  It  now  ex- 
ists, is  co-extensive  with  the  thought  in  the  mind 
of  the  Master  when  he  spoke  of  "the  Kingdom  of 


His  Influence  235 

God."  But  It  may  be  affirmed  without  a  fear  of 
contradiction  that  the  Church  Is  the  great  organism 
through  which  God  is  working  for  the  setting  up 
of  that  Kingdom  on  earth.  As  such,  the  Church 
was  founded  on  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  as  upon 
a  rock,  so  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  It. 

If  you  stand  In  the  doorway  of  any  Christian 
Church  you  will  hear  the  people  singing,  "All  hail 
the  power  of  Jesus'  name!"  And  presently  you 
will  see  them  passing  out.  Where  are  they  going? 
The  Master  said  "Go!"  and  they  are  doing  as  he 
bade  them.  "Go  down  to  thy  house  and  show 
what  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee" — 
"Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  and  con- 
strain them  to  come  In" — "Go  ye  therefore  and 
make  disciples  of  all  the  nations."  In  other  words, 
they  are  going  to  co-operate  with  Christ  In  the  an- 
swering of  their  own  prayer,  "Thy  kingdom  come." 
And  the  Issue  will  show  that  they  are  going  to 
bring  In  the  Golden  Age. 

The  Christian  himself. — No  fact  of  these  times 
is  more  conspicuous  than  Christian  character.  It 
must  be  dealt  with  as  an  existing  and  Indisputable 
fact.  It  Is  the  crystallization  of  the  word  of  Jesus, 
"If  any  man  would  come  after  me,  let  him  deny 
himself  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me." 

The  hundreds  ojf  millions  of  people  In  the  world 
who  call  themselves  Christians  are  not  perfect,  not 
one  of  them;  nor  do  they  claim  to  be.     But  take 


236       The  Three  Great  Doctrines 

them  by  and  large,  with  all  their  Imperfections, 
they  stand  for  what  Is  best  and  noblest  in  the  moral 
life  of  these  days.  Did  Christ  ever  live?  Here 
stands  the  Christian !  How  else  will  you  account 
for  him?  He  has  taken  Christ  as  his  Saviour,  his 
Exemplar  and  his  Leader,  and  is  simply  trying  to 
follow  him.  If  you  ask  him  to  account  for  him- 
self he  will  answer,  as  Richard  Baxter  did,  "I  am 
not  what  I  ought  to  be ;  I  am  not  what  I  mean  to 
be;  but,  by  the  grace  of  God  In  Christ,  I  am  what 
I  am!" 

Now,  these  are  facts;  and  as  such  they  demand 
an  explanation.  To  answer  the  sophistries  of  Pro- 
fessor Drews  would  be  to  carry  coals  to  Newcastle. 
By  the  same  logical  method  which  he  employed  it 
was  proved  by  his  colleague.  Dr.  Wurm,  that 
Luther  never  lived.  Suppose  you  were  to  make  it 
appear,  by  macaronic  logic  of  a  similar  character, 
that  my  father  never  lived,  what  then?  How 
should  I  confute  you.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  I 
am  here.  Children  do  not  occur  without  sires. 
Account  for  me !  You  might  perhaps  be  able  to 
ratiocinate  my  mother  Into  a  myth;  but  I  should 
still  see  her  sitting  by  the  chimney  corner  In  the  old 
home  and  hear  her  singing, 

"Jesus  my  all  to  heaven  is  gone; 
He  whom  I  fix  my  hopes  upon; 
His  track  I  see,  and  I'll  pursue 
The  narrow  way  till  him  I  view!" 

No,  the  question  Is  not,  '*DId  Jesus  ever  live?" 


His  Influence  237 

Nor  Is  It  ^'Does  he  live  to-day  ?''  He  sits  upon  his 
throne  and  governs  men  and  nations;  and  men  and 
nations  are  In  evidence  to  prove  It.  More  than 
that,  we  affirm  his  presence  here  and  now. 

We  may  not  climb  the  heavenly  steeps 
To  bring  the  Lord  Christ  down; 

In  vain  we  search  the  lowest  deeps, 
For  him  no  depths  can  drown; 

But  warm,  sweet,  tender,  even  yet 

A  present  help  is  he ; 
And  faith  has  yet  its  Olivet, 

And  love  its  Galilee. 

The  healing  of  the  seamless  dress 

Is  by  our  beds  of  pain ; 
We  touch  him  in  life's  throng  and  press, 

And  we  are  whole  again. 

The  vital  question. — No,  these  are  not  the  ques- 
tions that  require  our  hardest  thinking  or  most 
deeply  concern  us.  The  vital  question,  the  ques- 
tion of  all  questions  for  living,  thinking  men,  is 
this:  Is  the  mind  that  was  In  Christ  Jesus  also 
in  me  ?  Do  I  live  In  him ;  and  do  my  walk  and  con- 
versation show  that  he  lives  in  me  ? 


PART   III 

ITS  AUTHORITY:    THE   BIBLE 

Why  I  Believe  It Page  241 

What  Shall  We  Do  With  It?    .     Page  259 
How  TO  Read  It Page  270 


Part   IIL-ITS  AUTHORITY 
THE   BIBLE 

WHY   I   BELIEVE   IT 


There  is  a  presumption  in  its  favor. — Its  own  claim. — 
Its  claim  is  verified. — Its  indestructibility. — Its  pro- 
mulgation.— Its  literary  value. — It  makes  men. — 
It  makes  nations. — Christ  believed  it. — It  has 
power  to  save. — "  It  finds  me." 

If  I  regarded  the  Scripture  as  a  mingled  tissue 
of  truth  and  falsehood,  I  could  not  honestly  say 
that  I  believe  it.  But  I  do  believe  the  Bible :  and  I 
mean  precisely  what  I  say.  To  my  mind  the  Book 
is  not  true  in  spots,  but  true  and  trustworthy  from 
beginning  to  end. 

And  this  is  the  historic  faith  of  the  Christian 
Church  along  the  ages.  The  enemies  of  the  Bible 
are  so  vociferous  that  at  times  one  is  moved  to  la- 
ment as  Elijah  did  under  the  juniper-tree,  "I,  even 
I  only,  am  left" ;  but  the  Lord  reassures  us,  "I  have 
left  me  a  great  multitude  who  have  not  bowed  their 
knees  to  the  antibiblical  Baal."  Be  of  good  cour- 
age, therefore. 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  a  conservative.  We  are 
241 


242  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

bound  to  move  with  the  moving  world,  providing 
we  move  not  away  from  the  immovable  faith 
which  was  "once  for  all  delivered  unto  the  saints." 
We  are  bound  to  keep  open  house  for  Truth;  but 
we  are  bound  no  less  to  double-bolt  our  doors  when 
Falsehood  knocks  and  shouts  *'Let  me  In!" 

Whether  a  man  believes  his  Bible  or  rejects  It, 
two  things  may  be  fairly  required  of  him.  On  the 
one  hand  he  should  frankly  and  truthfully  state 
his  position  without  mumbling  or  mouthing  It;  and 
on  the  other  he  should  be  ready  always  to  give  an 
answer  to  every  man  that  asketh  him  a  reason  for 
It. 

The  following  now  are  my  reasons  for  holding 
that  the  Bible  Is  the  true  and  trustworthy  Word  of 
God: 

There  is  a  presumption  in  its  favor. — If  there 
Is  a  God  anywhere  In  the  universe,  and  if  we  are 
his  children,  he  would  surely  not  leave  us  In  doubt 
respecting  the  great  problems  which  have  to  do 
with  our  spiritual  and  eternal  life.  If  an  earthly 
father  advises  his  sons  and  daughters,  in  their  dis- 
tress and  bewilderment,  assuring  them  of  his  plans 
and  purposes  concerning  them,  Is  It  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  our  heavenly  Father  would  do  less? 

Plato  lamented  that  he  was  adrift  on  a  raft  upon 
an  open  sea  with  no  rudder,  no  star  above  to  guide 
him;  yet  he,  pagan  though  he  was,  ventured  the 
hope  that  In  good  time  "the  gods  would  give  us  a 
staunch  boat  to  sail  in."    This  was  but  the  expres- 


Why  I  Believe  It  243 

slon  of  a  universal  instinct.  If  there  is  a  God  he 
must  reveal  himself  to  his  children.  There  is,  then, 
somewhere  in  the  world,  a  clear  and  authoritative 
Word  of  God.     Where  is  it? 

Its  own  claim. — The  Bible  claims  to  be  inspired; 
nor  does  It  leave  the  meaning  of  "Inspiration" 
In  doubt.  The  word  is  theopnustia,  "breathed 
of  God."  It  says,  in  explicit  terms:  "Every 
scripture  Inspired  of  God  is  also  profitable  for 
teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruc- 
tion which  Is  In  righteousness;  that  the  man  of 
God  may  be  complete,  furnished  completely  unto 
every  good  work."  And  It  speaks  no  less  definitely 
as  to  the  method  of  Its  inspiration:  "For  no 
prophecy  ever  came  by  the  will  of  man;  but  men 
spake  from  God,  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 

If  the  Bible  Is  not  true,  then  it  sets  up  a  fraudu- 
lent claim;  but  if  that  claim  can  be  verified  we  have 
no  alternative  but  to  receive  it  at  Its  face  value  and 
frame  our  lives  accordingly.  The  question,  pro  or 
contra,  must  be  determined  by  Internal  evidence. 
We  proceed,  therefore,  to  open  the  Book:  and  we 
shall  find  that  the  proof  of  its  inspiration  Is  as  com- 
plete and  satisfactory  as  that  which  It  furnishes  to 
substantiate  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  the  divin- 
ity of  Christ  or  any  other  fundamental  truth. 

Its   claim  is  verified. — An   examination   of  the 

contents  of  the  Book  discloses  the  following  facts: 

Its  unity, — Here  is  a  volume  made  up  of  sixty- 


244  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

SIX  books,  on  a  large  variety  of  themes,  written  by 
forty  odd  writers  of  various  tongues  and  nationali- 
ties, writing  at  intervals  along  a  period  of  sixteen 
hundred  years,  and  representing  all  degrees  of 
racial  development  from  barbarism  to  clearest 
light.  Yet  the  sixty-six  books  thus  composed,  when 
bound  together,  constitute  a  harmonious  and  con- 
sistent whole ;  yielding  one  system  of  doctrine,  one 
code  of  ethics,  one  "rule  of  faith  and  practice"  for 
all  the  children  of  men. 

Shall  v/e  call  this  a  fortuitous  circumstance? 
The  folly  of  such  a  statement  would  immediately 
be  recognized  in  any  other  province.  If  forty  odd 
persons  of  different  tongues  and  degrees  of  musical 
culture  were  to  pass  through  the  organ-loft  of  a 
church,  at  long  intervals,  and,  without  possIblHty 
of  collusion,  strike  sixty-six  notes  which  when  com- 
bined should  yield  the  theme  of  the  grandest 
oratorio  ever  heard,  I  respectfully  submit  that  the 
man  who  regarded  that  as  "a  fortuitous  circum- 
stance" would  by  universal  consent  be  regarded  as 
a  fool.  The  conclusion  would  be  irresistible  that 
there  was  one  controlling  mind,  a  great  tone- 
master  behind  It. 

Its  completeness. — The  Bible  Is  the  only  book 
that  touches  and  solves  every  one  of  the  great  prob- 
lems that  have  to  do  with  human  destiny.  You 
cannot  ask  a  question  concerning  God  or  immor- 
tality or  salvation  which  It  does  not  answer,  and 
answer  so  clearly  as  to  satisfy  the  simplest  mind. 
It  furnishes  a  Code  of  Morals  also  which  covers 


Why  I  Believe  It  245 

every  possible  question  that  can  be  asked  respecting 
the  conduct  of  life.  The  Decalogue  and  its  expo- 
sition In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  are  universally 
recognized  as  the  two  perfect  ethical  symbols. 
When  the  Book  has  thus  spoken  of  truth  and 
righteousness  It  has  traversed  the  entire  circum- 
ference of  human  experience;  for  truth  and  right- 
eousness are  the  two  hemispheres  of  man. 

And  having  spoken  In  this  manner  It  leaves 
nothing  more  to  be  said.  Wherefore  It  concludes 
with  the  word  "Finis."  The  Book  was  thus  closed 
forever.  There  was  to  be  no  addendum;  there 
were  no  errata.  That  word  "Finis"  Is  a  challenge 
to  the  centuries:  "I  am  complete;  supplant  or  sup- 
plement me  if  you  can  !" 

Its  up-to-dateness. — Here  Is  the  oldest  book  In 
the  world.  A  portion  of  It  was  old  when  Cecrops 
founded  Egypt.  The  book  of  Job  had  been  writ- 
ten three  thousand  years  when  Chaucer  opened 
the  springs  of  "English  undefyled."  The  book  of 
Ruth  was  twenty-five  hundred  years  old  when 
America  was  discovered.  Yet  there  are  hundreds 
of  millions  of  people  who  read  their  Bibles  daily 
and  find  them  fresh  as  the  break  of  day. 

This  is  because  the  Book  was  adjusted  In  the 
beginning  to  all  the  vicissitudes  of  time  and  the 
progress  of  coming  ages.  Its  truths,  its  ethical 
precepts,  Its  "exceeding  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises" are  like  Oriental  spices,  which  the  more 
they  are  rubbed  give  forth  the  more  of  fragrant 
sweetness.     The  gospel  is  "good  news."     It  Is  as 


246  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

new  and  fresh  as  when  the  evangel  came  to  para- 
dise. It  is  the  last  tidings  from  the  heaven  of  a 
loving  God. 

Its  tone  of  authority. — It  might  be  supposed 
that  a  book  dealing  with  spiritual  truths,  all  of 
which  lie  beyond  the  purview  of  the  physical 
senses,  would  speak  with  some  measure  of  reserve 
or  uncertainty;  but  there  are  no  *'ifs"  or  "per- 
hapses"  or  "peradventures"  here.  How  could  a 
divine  book  speak  that  way?  We  want  no  guesses 
about  life  and  immortality.  We  must  know.  We 
want  authority;  and  there  can  be  no  final  authority 
with  respect  to  these  problems  except  a  divine  ipse 
dixit.  Wherefore  the  Book  says  always,  "Yea  and 
Amen,''  and  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  and  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you." 

Put  an  "if"  into  the  Decalogue,  and  you  lay  a 
charge  of  dynamite  under  the  morality  of  men  and 
nations.  Put  an  "if"  under  the  manger  at  Bethle- 
hem, and  you  destroy  the  happiness  of  a  million 
homes.  Put  an  "if"  under  Calvary,  and  you  make 
us  of  all  men  most  miserable.  Put  an  "if"  under 
the  empty  sepulchre  in  Joseph's  garden,  and  our 
visions  of  life  and  immortality  vanish  into  thin  air. 
But  blessed  be  God,  there  are  no  "ifs"  in  the  Bible. 
It  gives  no  uncertain  sound.  It  speaks  as  the  ora- 
cles of  God. 

Its  truth:  its  faultless,  flawless  truth. — The 
claim  of  absolute  inerrancy  is  not  made  for  any 
current  version  of  the  Scriptures.  It  would  be 
singular  indeed  if  the  hundreds  of  current  versions 


Why  I  Believe  It  247 

were  so  absolutely  Identical  as  to  show  no  discrep- 
ancies. Let  It  be  noted,  however,  that  these  dis- 
crepancies are  so  Insignificant  as  not  to  affect  In  the 
slightest  degree  the  Integrity  of  the  doctrinal  and 
ethical  teaching.  And  let  It  be  observed  also — 
and  this  I  wish  to  emphasize — that  they  are  such 
as  to  convince  any  candid  mind  that  they  were  not 
In  the  original  but  have  crept  Into  the  text  In  the 
process  of  translation  and  transmission.  This  be- 
ing true,  they  furnish  of  themselves  a  mighty  argu- 
ment for  the  absolute  inerrancy  of  the  original 
autograph. 

If  It  be  repHed  that  no  man  living  has  ever  seen 
that  "original  autograph"  and  that  we  are  not 
practically  concerned  with  It,  we  answer  that  the 
objection  proves  either  too  little  or  too  much.  For 
no  living  man  has  ever  seen  the  Incarnate  Word 
of  God.  He  lived  only  thirty-three  years  In  this 
world  of  ours  and  then  vanished.  The  only  knowl- 
edge that  we  have  of  him,  apart  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, Is  through  his  followers ;  for  every  Christian 
is,  so  to  speak,  a  current  version  of  the  Incarnate 
Word.  Christ,  like  the  Bible,  has  suffered  by 
transcription  through  the  ages. 

It  is  nevertheless  of  supreme  importance  that 
we  shall  believe  that  Christ,  as  he  once  lived  on 
earth,  was  the  perfect  Son  of  God.  And  the  very 
mistakes  of  believers  in  their  earnest  yet  Inade- 
quate efforts  to  copy  his  Hfe  and  character  are  evi- 
dences of  his  perfection.  We  are  ever  striving  to 
get  back  to  the  original  Christ ;  precisely  as  rever- 


248  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

ent  students  of  the  Scriptures  seek,  by  both  textual 
and  historical  criticism,  to  reach  the  "original  auto- 
graph," that  is,  the  "first  edition"  of  the  written 
Word  of  God. 

If  the  destructive  critics  were  to  be  taken  at 
their  word  the  Bible  is  full  of  frightful  errors.  Its 
prophecies  have  failed,  its  history  is  not  historical, 
its  science  is  unscientific,  its  stories  are  myths,  its 
facts  are  fabulous ;  and  there  is  practically  nothing 
trustworthy  in  It.  We  make  bold  to  affirm,  on  the 
contrary,  that  as  yet  the  destructive  critics  have  not 
been  able  to  produce  a  single  error  or  discrepancy 
which  cannot  be  most  reasonably  explained  as 
either  purely  Imaginary  or  unimportant. 

Of  its  ten  thousand  prophecies  not  one  has  mis- 
carried yet.  The  owl  and  bittern,  dwelling  among 
the  ruins  of  Innumerable  cities  on  which  the  curse 
of  divine  judgment  was  pronounced  in  olden  times, 
confirm  their  truth. 

The  history  in  the  Bible  is  the  only  authentic 
History  of  the  World.  It  is  a  deep  river,  flowing 
backward  In  its  course  past  the  ruins  of  antiquity, 
past  the  confusion  of  tongues,  past  the  deluge  and 
the  creation,  past  the  solitude  of  primeval  ages, 
past  the  floating  nebulas,  and  still  beyond  to  the 
Ineffable  glory,  where  It  finds  Its  source  beneath 
the  heavenly  throne :    "In  the  beginning,  God." 

And  that  history  has  come  out  of  the  ordeal  of 
long  centuries  of  criticism  without  a  successful 
challenge.  Archaeologists  are  unearthing  confirma- 
tions every  day.     It  used  to  be  said,  for  example, 


Why  I  Believe  It  249 

that  the  Battle  of  the  Four  Kings  was  purely  fabu- 
lous; till  along  came  a  man  with  a  spade  and  dug 
up  a  royal  library  in  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates, 
bearing  date  of  640  B.  C,  wherein  were  found 
the  names  of  the  Four  Kings.  This  man  with  the 
spade  is  continually  verifying  the  historicity  of  the 
Bible  in  that  way. 

The  same  can  be  affirmed  of  its  science.  It  is 
frequently  said  that  "the  Bible  was  not  intended  to 
be  a  scientific  book,"  giving  the  impression  that  it 
makes  little  difference  whether  its  scientific  state- 
ments are  trustworthy  or  not.  The  question,  how- 
ever, is  not  whether  the  Bible  was  intended  to  be  a 
scientific  book,  but  whether  it  is  true  or  not.  Falsiis 
in  lino,  falsus  m  omnibus.  If  the  Bible  cannot  be 
trusted  at  this  point,  what  ground  have  we  for 
committing  ourselves  to  its  guidance  in  spiritual 
things?  You  have  impugned  the  veracity  of  your 
witness. 

The  Bible  is  the  book  of  origins.  It  treats  of 
Biology,  Zoology,  Ethnology,  Geology,  Astron- 
omy, indeed  of  every  department  of  natural  science. 
And  its  statements  hold  true.  If  it  be  claimed  that 
they  do  not  fall  in  with  certain  scientific  hypothe- 
ses of  these  times,  we  answer  that  God  never 
guesses.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  in  this  connection, 
that  a  hundred  years  ago  there  were  more  than 
eighty  so-called  "scientific  theories"  before  the 
French  Institute,  every  one  of  which  was  alleged 
to  contradict  the  Scriptures.  Where  are  they  now? 
All  have  died  the  death;  but  the  Book  lives  on. 


250         Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

So  much  for  my  third  reason  for  believing  the 
Bible,  namely,  its  truth  as  shown  by  an  examina- 
tion of  its  contents.     My  next  reason  is 

Its  indestructibilty. — No  other  book  has  ever 
provoked  such  fierce  opposition.  If  fires  and  acids 
could  have  destroyed  it,  it  would  have  been  lost 
and  forgotten  long  ago.  The  ancient  cities  of  the 
world  were  lit  with  bonfires  of  Bibles;  yet  the  Book 
survives  without  the  smell  of  fire  upon  it.  The 
corrosive  acids  of  unfair  criticism  have  been 
poured  upon  it  from  time  immemorial;  but  they 
have  not  destroyed  a  single  page  of  it. 

The  Book  is  Its  own  greatest  miracle.  It  stands, 
to  use  the  words  of  Gladstone,  as  "the  impregnable 
rock."  He  was  thinking  of  Gibraltar,  which 
guards  the  Gates  of  Hercules  where  the  storms  of 
the  Atlantic  and  Mediterranean  meet  in  a  mighty 
grapple.  Its  foot  is  strewn  with  the  wreckage  of 
ships  that  have  defied  it;  but  Gibraltar  stands.  In 
like  manner  the  Bible  survives  its  foes.  *'Surely 
the  people  is  grass.  The  grass  withereth,  the 
flower  fadeth;  but  the  word  of  our  God  shall  stand 
forever!" 

Its  promulgation. — The  Book  is  printed  In  more 
than  five  hundred  languages  and  dialects,  and  Is 
scattered  over  the  world  like  leaves  of  the  tree  of 
life.  The  Interest  which  it  excites  In  the  universal 
mind,  and  which  separates  It  Immeasurably  from 


Why  I  Believe  It  251 

all  literature  of  mere  human  origin,  Is  attested  by 
the  fact  that  within  forty-eight  hours  after  the  Ox- 
ford Version  was  issued  two  million  five  hundred 
thousand  copies  were  disposed  of.  It  is  the  "best 
seller"  In  the  literary  commerce  of  the  world  to- 
day. 

Its  literary  value. — The  Bible  Is  literature;  but 
It  Is  singular  literature.  It  Is  "a  Book  among 
books,"  but  the  only  one  that  claims  the  authorship 
of  God.  It  is  so  comprehensive  that  the  man  who 
knows  his  Bible  only  Is  an  educated  man.  In 
Froude's  life  of  Bunyan  he  says  that  in  the  en- 
forced silence  and  solitude  of  Bedford  jail  the  pris- 
oner had  only  two  books;  but  "one  of  these,"  he 
significantly  adds,  "was  the  Bible,  which  Is  of  It- 
self a  liberal  education." 

Where  will  you  find  such  poetry  as  here?  Let 
Milton  speak:  "There  are  no  songs  like  the  songs 
of  ZIon."  Other  poets  when  compared  with  those 
of  Scripture  are  as  twittering  swallows  In  a  field 
of  morning  larks.  Never  have  minstrels  sung  like 
those  who  drank  from  "Siloa's  brook  that  flows 
fast  by  the  oracle  of  God." 

Where  will  you  find  such  eloquence  as  here? 
Where  will  you  parallel  the  plea  of  Judah  for  his 
brethren  at  the  Egyptian  Court,  or  that  of  Aaron 
for  the  emancipation  of  the  Jewish  slaves;  the  ad- 
dress of  Nathan  on  "The  Little  Ewe  Lamb"  or 
the  cry  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the  wilderness;  the 


254  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

try.  We  want  your  light,  your  freedom,  your  con- 
stitutional rights.  We  want  your  civilization.  I 
am  satisfied  that  we  cannot  have  it  without  taking 
the  Bible  along  with  it."  That  man  is  now  one 
of  the  foremost  representatives  of  the  Japanese 
Government  in  Korea  and  he  still  remains  a  firm 
believer  in  the  Word  of  God. 

Christ  believed  it. — He  spoke  of  it  as  *'truth" 
and  as  *'the  Word  of  God."  He  preached  it.  He 
practised  it.  In  his  threefold  temptation  in  the 
wilderness  he  thrice  replied  to  the  adversary,  *'It 
is  written";  and  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  the 
three  passages  quoted  on  that  occasion  were  all 
from  the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  which  is  pro- 
nounced a  forgery  by  the  destructive  critics. 

He  adventured  the  integrity  and  success  of  his 
redemptive  work  upon  the  truth  of  the  Bible;  and 
in  doing  so  he  chose  those  very  passages  which  are 
most  discredited  by  the  mischievous  critics  of  our 
time.  He  stood  for  the  record  of  creation,  the 
destruction  of  the  Cities  of  the  Plain,  and  even 
the  "incredible  story  of  Jonah."  He  said,  "An 
evil  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign; 
and  there  shall  no  sign  be  given  to  it  except  the 
sign  of  Jonah,  the  prophet;  for  as  Jonah  was  three 
days  and  three  nights  in  the  belly  of  the  whale, 
so  shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  three  days  and  three 
nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth."  It  is  little  won- 
der that  those  who  deny  the  sign  should  also  deny 
the  resurrection  of  Christ. 


Why  I  Believe  It  255 

He  made  the  Bible  the  determining  factor  in 
the  problem  of  his  kingdom.  He  commissioned 
his  disciples  to  "go  preach."  Preach  what?  The 
Word.  This  was  ''the  good  seed"  which  they  were 
to  sow.    The  world  is  to  be  converted  by  it. 

And  while  the  teaching  of  Jesus  with  respect  to 
the  truth  of  Scripture  was  expressed  in  such  posi- 
tive terms,  it  is  singular  that  he  never,  on  the  other 
hand,  uttered  a  word  or  syllable  to  indicate  that 
he  supposed  it  to  be  otherwise  than  true  from  be- 
ginning to  end.  How  shall  we  account  for  that? 
We  face  a  threefold  alternative.  First,  there  are 
no  errors  in  Scripture.  Second,  the  errors  were 
there,  but  Christ  was  not  aware  of  them.  Third, 
he  was  aware  of  these  errors,  but  did  not  choose  to 
tell. 

In  the  first  case  the  Scriptures  must  be  regarded 
as  true.  In  the  second  case,  if  Christ  was  not 
aware  of  the  alleged  errors,  then  the  destructive 
critic  of  our  time  is  wiser  than  he  and  therefore 
more  worthy  to  be  our  spiritual  guide.  In  the 
third  case,  if  he  knew  there  were  such  errors  in 
Scripture  and  did  not  tell,  he  was  not  an  honest 
man. 

How  easily  he  could  have  saved  us  from  all  per- 
plexity! But  he  kept  silent.  Oh,  that  eloquent 
silence !  It  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  assuming 
that  he  believed  the  Bible  to  be  true.  And  if 
this  book  was  true  enough  for  Christ  it  is  true 
enough  for  every  Christian;  it  is  true  enough  for 
me. 


256  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

It  has  power  to  save. — In  every  heart,  down  be- 
low all  other  wants  and  aspirations,  there  is  a  pro- 
found longing  to  know  the  way  of  spiritual  life. 
The  world  Is  crying,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved?"  Of  all  books  the  Bible  Is  the  only  one 
that  answers  that  universal  cry. 

There  are  others  that  set  forth  morality  with 
more  or  less  correctness ;  but  there  is  none  that  sug- 
gests a  blotting  out  of  the  record  of  the  misllved 
past  or  an  escape  from  the  penalty  of  the  broken 
law.  In  the  midst  of  these  oracles  stands  the 
Cross,  throwing  its  shadow  four  ways  toward  all 
the  horizons  of  human  life.  Out  of  this  blessed 
Book  proceeds  a  voice  that  is  heard  nowhere  else : 
"God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only- 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
should  not  perish  but  have  eternal  life." 

There  are  other  books  that  have  poetry;  but 
there  Is  none  that  sings  the  song  of  salvation  or 
gives  a  troubled  soul  the  peace  that  floweth  like 
a  river. 

There  are  other  books  that  have  eloquence;  but 
there  Is  no  other  that  enables  us  to  behold  God 
himself  with  outstretched  hands  pleading  with  men 
to  turn  and  live. 

There  are  other  books  that  have  science,  but 
there  Is  no  other  that  can  give  the  soul  a  definite 
assurance  of  the  future  life,  so  that  It  can  say,  "I 
know  him  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I  am  per- 
suaded that  he  Is  able  to  guard  that  which  I  have 
committed  unto  him  against  that  day!" 


Why  I  Believe  It  257 

There  are  other  books  of  philosophy,  but  there 
is  none  that  can  make  us  wise  with  respect  to  those 
great  doctrines  which  center  In  life  and  immor- 
tality. 

There  are  other  books  of  history,  but  they  are 
like  ships  carrying  lights  astern  to  cast  a  lurid  glare 
on  a  wake  of  receding  foam,  while  this  carries  a 
searchlight  at  the  masthead  to  Illuminate  the 
whole  way  to  heaven.  There  Is  no  other  that  tells 
the  story  of  divine  love  reaching  from  the  remote 
councils  of  eternity  to  Its  consummation  on  Cal- 
vary; the  "old,  old  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love." 
It  Is  the  Book  that  enlightens  and  sustains  and 
stimulates ;  but  above  all  It  Is  the  Book  that  points 
the  path  to  everlasting  life. 

I  have  given  my  ten  reasons  for  believing  that 
the  Bible  Is  the  Word  of  God.  Now  one  more.  I 
believe  the  Bible  because 

"It  finds  me." — Those  are  the  words  of  Cole- 
ridge; and  I  make  them  mine.  The  Bible  found 
me  on  a  memorable  day  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 
It  found  me  perplexed  with  a  boy's  fear  of  the 
unknown.  It  calmed  my  fears  and  gave  me  the 
hope  that  maketh  not  ashamed.  It  has  found  me 
once  and  again  in  the  Vale  of  Baca  and  wiped 
away  my  tears.  It  has  found  me  and  upheld  me 
in  seasons  of  weakness  and  discouragement.  It 
has  found  and  never  failed  me.  And,  when  I  come 
to  the  border-line  between  time  and  eternity,  it 
shall  find  me  there  and  give  me  a  rod  and  staff  to 


258  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

lean  on.  Oh,  blessed  Book!  May  my  right  hand 
forget  Its  cunning  and  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof 
of  my  mouth  If  I  forget  thee! 

These  are  my  reasons.  What  think  you  ?  One 
thing  Is  clear:  If  you  reject  the  truth  of  the  Bible 
It  devolves  upon  you  to  be  able  to  give  an  answer 
to  every  man  that  asketh  a  reason  for  your  doing 
so.  Be  not  taken  up  In  the  lips  of  talkers.  Do 
your  own  thinking.  Be  honest  In  your  rejection  of 
the  Scriptures,  If  thus  It  must  be.  Take  down  the 
old  book,  dust-covered,  perhaps,  and  search  It.  Be 
man  enough  to  put  away  prejudice  and  to  reject 
second-hand  opinions.  Stand  on  your  own  feet. 
Farm  out  your  thinking  to  nobody.  Open  the 
Book  and  read  for  yourself. 

The  Bible  Is  its  own  best  witness.  Search  It 
with  a  mind  open  to  conviction,  and  I  am  confi- 
dent you  will  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion  that 
has  forced  itself  upon  me.  The  Bible  Is  a  book 
to  live  by  and  to  die  by.  It  is  worthy  to  be  re- 
ceived as  an  Infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 
It  Is  true  and  trustworthy  every  way.  It  is  the 
veritable  Word  of  God. 


WHAT   SHALL   WE   DO    WITH   IT? 


The  deposit  of  truth. — Divinely  given. — A  compendium. 
— Entrusted  to  the  Church. — The  responsibility  of 
the  ministry. — What  is  the  result  ? — Where  is  the 
remedy  ? — The  oracles  will  stand. 

Paul  writes  to  Timothy,  2  Timothy  1:14: 
^'That  good  thing  which  was  committed  unto  thee 
guard,  through  the  Holy  Spirit  which  dwelleth  In 
us." 

The  deposit  of  truth. — What  was  this  sacred 
trust  or  deposit,  this  paratheke^  which  Timothy 
had  received  from  Christ? 

The  reference,  as  shown  in  the  context,  Is  very 
clear.  It  is  that  body  of  Christian  truth  which  was 
"once  for  all  delivered  unto  the  saints."  It  Is  the 
aggregate  of  truths  or  doctrines  regarded  as  es- 
sential by  all  believers  who  are  in  vital  connection 
with  the  universal  or  "holy  catholic  Church." 
Everybody  knows  what  they  are. 

We  stand  for  the  objective  reality  of  these 
truths.  One  of  the  most  specious  forms  of  cur- 
rent heresy  is  Ritschllanism,  which  affirms  that 
truth  expresses  itself  only  in  "value  judgments." 
It  reasons  thus:  "It  is  quite  immaterial  whether 
there  be  a  God  or  not,  so  long  as  one  believes  that 


26o         Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

way;  since  one's  belief,  as  a  value  judgment,  an- 
swers all  the  practical  purposes  of  a  God."  A  like 
attitude  is  assumed  toward  the  divinity  of  Christ, 
the  atonement,  justification  by  faith  and  other  doc- 
trines. All  truth  Is  thus  reduced  to  a  mere  matter 
of  personal  opinion;  the  foundations  of  authority 
are  removed  and  practically  nothing  is  left  of  the 
religion  of  Christ. 

Divinely  given. — The  body  of  Christian  truth, 
referred  to  in  our  text,  was  given  by  divine  revela- 
tion. It  is  important  to  emphasize  this  fact,  as 
against  the  view  current  in  some  quarters  that  it 
was  evolved  from  the  inner  consciousness  of  men. 
We  hear  of  a  "Pauline  theology"  and  of  a  "Petrine 
theology" ;  but  there  is  no  such  thing.  God  him- 
self is  responsible  for  the  truth  and  trustworthi- 
ness of  what  Paul  and  Peter  wrote  under  his  di- 
rection. Their  Scripture,  like  all  other  Scripture, 
was  "inspired  of  God." 

He  chose  forty  men,  at  intervals  along  a  period 
of  fifteen  hundred  years,  whom  he  singularly  "in- 
spired"; and  these  men  wrote  as  they  were  "moved 
by  the  Holy  Spirit."  To  liken  the  inspiration  of 
Isaiah  with  that  of  Milton  or  Shakespeare  is 
simply  to  explain  It  away  altogether.  The  least 
that  can  possibly  be  affirmed  of  those  who  wrote 
under  such  inspiration  Is  that  they  were  so  guided 
and  controlled  as  to  be  protected  from  all  possi- 
bility of  error;  so  that  the  product  of  their  writing 
could  properly  be  called  "The  Word  of  God." 


What  Shall  We  Do  With  It?     261 

A  compendium. — The  body  of  truth  thus  re- 
vealed was  recorded  In  the  book  known  as  "The 
Holy  Scriptures."  This  Book  Is  as  singular,  In 
the  world's  literature,  as  the  Inspiration  which  pro- 
duced It.  Other  books  "contain"  truth;  this  Book 
is  true. 

Not  only  so;  It  Is  a  complete  summary  of  all 
spiritual  truth,  so  far  forth  as  a  knowledge  of  spir- 
itual truth  Is  necessary  to  our  temporal  and  eternal 
well-being.  Hence  the  reference  of  Paul  to  the 
content  of  Scripture  as  a  "deposit"  entrusted  to 
him  for  safekeeping  and  for  the  uses  of  his  life 
and  ministry.  "Abide  thou,"  he  says  to  Timothy, 
"in  the  things  which  thou  hast  learned  and  hast 
been  assured  of,  knowing  of  whom  thou  hast 
learned  them;  and  that  from  a  babe  thou  hast 
known  the  sacred  writings,  which  are  able  to  make 
thee  wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus.  Every  scripture  Inspired  of  God 
Is  also  profitable  for  teaching,  for  reproof,  for  cor- 
rection, for  Instruction  which  Is  in  righteousness; 
that  the  man  of  God  may  be  complete,  furnished 
completely  unto  every  good  work." 

All  spiritual  truth,  so  far  as  needed  for  our 
guidance,  Is  here  summarized.  It  is  all  here  in 
the  Book.  This  fact  is  worthy  of  emphasis  In 
view  of  what  is  being  said  about  "progressive  reve- 
lation." 

Do  we  affirm,  then,  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  progress  in  the  understanding  of  truth?  By  no 
means!     But  all  progress  in  spiritual  knowledge 


262  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

is  within  the  limitations  of  Scripture;  as  John  Rob- 
inson said  when  he  bade  farewell  to  the  Pilgrims 
as  they  were  embarking  at  Delft  Haven:  "I  pray 
you,  remember  that  new  light  will  be  ever  breaking 
forth  from  the  Word  of  God!"  As  there  is  no 
new  force  In  the  material  universe,  but  new  appli- 
cations of  force  continually,  so  there  are  no  new 
principles  In  the  spiritual  province,  but  ever  new 
interpretations  and  larger  uses  of  truth.  The  sun, 
which  is  our  source  of  light  and  energy,  is  not 
changed  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  progressive 
world,  though  there  are  many  *'new  things  under 
the  sun,"  The  Bible,  in  like  manner,  though  closed 
long  centuries  ago,  was  divinely  adjusted  to  the 
progress  of  all  succeeding  ages. 

Entrusted  to  the  Church. — The  body  of  truth 
thus  revealed  and  recorded  was  deposited  with  the 
Church.  Wherefore  the  Church  is  characterized 
as  "the  pillar  and  ground  of  truth."  The  word 
"church,"  or  ekklesia,  means  "called  out."  The 
Church  is  a  body  of  men  called  out  of  the  world 
for  the  specific  purpose  of  safeguarding  and  util- 
izing this  deposit  of  scriptural  truth. 

The  original  germ  or  nucleus  of  Scripture  was 
the  Moral  Law,  or  Ten  Commandments,  together 
with  the  Civil  and  Ceremonial  Law  which  com- 
plemented It.  God's  jealousy  for  the  maintenance 
of  his  Word  is  shown  by  his  command  to  the 
Levites:  "Take  this  book  of  the  law,  and  put  It 
by  the  side  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah 


What  Shall  We  Do  With  It?     263 

your  God,  that  It  may  be  there  for  a  witness 
against  thee."  In  course  of  time  there  was  added 
by  Inspiration  to  this  original  nucleus  a  further  set 
of  revelations,  and  these  together  with  the  fore- 
going were  known  as  *'the  oracles." 

The  Jews  were  set  apart  as  a  Church  or  "chosen 
people"  for  the  express  purpose  of  preserving  these 
oracles  and  passing  them  on  to  the  coming  ages. 

In  the  course  of  Paul's  great  argument  on  justi- 
fication by  faith,  where  he  shows  that  Jewish  rites 
and  ceremonies  had  no  power  to  save,  an  objection 
is  Interposed,  "What  advantage  then  hath  the 
Jew?"  to  which  he  answers,  "Much  every  way; 
first  of  all  that  they  were  entrusted  with  the  oracles 
of  God."  This  was  the  singular  privilege  and 
prerogative  of  the  Jews;  they  were  "chosen"  to 
be  librarians  of  the  Word.  And,  alas,  they 
proved  false  to  It!  They  rejected  their  own  ora- 
cles, and  crucified  "the  Hope  of  Israel."  Where- 
fore "their  candlestick  was  removed  out  of  Its 
place";  and  every  wandering  Jew  In  the  world  to- 
day Is  a  living  monument  of  the  divine  jealousy 
for  the  Scriptures  as  the  source  of  revealed 
truth. 

The  Christian  Church,  as  successor  of  the  Jewish 
Church,  has  a  like  mission.  To  It  are  entrusted 
the  oracles,  for  safe  keeping,  exposition  and  propa- 
gation to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  This 
mission  finds  its  proper  interpretation  in  "Mis- 
sions." To  save  souls  Is  a  divine  prerogative;  but 
to    disseminate    truth,    the    truth    of    the    oracles 


264  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

through  which  souls  are  saved,  Is  the  business  of 
the  Church.  When  that  Is  attended  to  God  does 
the  rest.  A  clear  understanding  of  this  fact  and 
a  corresponding  zeal  In  Missions  will  bring  In  the 
Golden  Age.  When  Christ  was  asked  by  his  dis- 
ciples for  a  sign  of  his  second  coming,  he  answered, 
*'The  end  is  not  yet  .  .  .  the  gospel  must  first  be 
preached  to  all  nations." 

The  responsibility  of  the  ministry. — The  body  of 
truth  thus  deposited  with  the  Church  has  been 
specially  entrusted  to  Its  ministers. 

In  the  Jewish  Church  the  prophets  were  charged 
with  the  duty  of  safeguarding  the  oracles  and  teach- 
ing them.  In  process  of  time  there  arose,  within 
their  number  a  new  order,  known  as  Scribes,  that  Is, 
transcribers  and  interpreters  of  Scripture.  They 
professed  to  be  "Biblical  experts,"  able  rightly  to 
divide  the  word  of  truth;  but  presently  they  began 
to  take  undue  liberties  with  their  trust.  And  for 
this  our  Lord  denounced  them,  saying,  "Full  well 
do  ye  reject  the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye 
may  keep  your  tradition."  "Woe  unto  you,  mask- 
wearers  !  Ye  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against 
men;  for  ye  enter  not  In  yourselves,  neither  suffer 
ye  them  that  are  entering  In  to  enter."  "Woe  unto 
you  ...  ye  blind  guides,  that  strain  out  the  gnat 
and  swallow  the  camel !  ...  Ye  serpents,  ye  off- 
spring of  vipers,  how  shall  ye  escape  the  judgment 
of  hell?"  All  this  because  they  had  been  false  to 
their  oracles,  adding  to  and  subtracting  from  them, 


What  Shall  We  Do  With  It?     265 

and  thus  setting  at  naught  their  commission  to  safe- 
guard the  truth. 

The  call  to  the  Christian  ministry  is  a  divine 
call.  It  is  a  summons  to  the  sacred  trust  of  truth 
as  contained  in  the  oracles  of  God;  and  fidelity  to 
that  trust  is  solemnly  pledged  in  its  ordination 
vows. 

In  the  early  Church  there  were  ministers  who 
were  recreant  to  that  trust.  Paul  was  moved  to 
warn  Timothy  against  those  false  teachers  who 
"creep  in"  among  the  people  to  make  shipwreck  of 
their  faith.  He  warned  the  young  pastor  against, 
their  specious  inroads  and  enjoined  him  to  be  faith- 
ful, with  pathetic  earnestness:  "O  Timothy, 
guard  that  which  is  committed  unto  thee!" 

Are  there  such  false  teachers  in  our  time?  It 
is  an  open  secret  that  not  a  few  ministers  have  in- 
sinuated themselves  into  evangelical  pulpits  where 
they,  sometimes  brazenly,  more  often  with  covert 
cleverness,  undermine  the  written  Word  and  deny 
the  Incarnate  Word  of  God.  What  care  they  for 
ordination  vows?  Common  honesty  is  cast  to  the 
winds.     ''Oaths  are  but  straws!" 

What  is  the  result? — The  question  is  frequently 
asked,  "Why  are  there  so  few  candidates  for  the 
ministry?"  The  wonder  is  that  there  should  be 
any  candidates  at  all  when  there  are  so  many  min- 
isters and  theological  instructors  who  reduce  the 
gospel  to  nil.  Why  should  a  young  man  conse- 
crate his  life  to  preaching  when  there  is  nothing 


266  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

to  preach?  In  Germany,  where  the  pulpits  are 
largely  given  over  to  rationalism,  the  supply  of 
candidates  is  less  than  one-third  what  It  was  fort}^ 
years  ago.  In  our  own  country  there  Is  a  smaller 
but  most  lamentable  falling  off.  Why?  Inquire 
at  the  doors  of  Yale,  Princeton,  Cornell  and  other 
great  Institutions  of  learning,  notably  our  State 
Universities,  where  rationalistic  science  and  philos- 
ophy, "made  in  Germany,"  are  taught  in  direct 
contravention  of  the  Scriptures.  Is  It  to  be  ex- 
pected that  young  men  will  be  moved  by  such  in- 
struction to  devote  their  lives  to  a  ministry  w^hich 
Is  consecrated  to  the  teaching  of  Scriptural  truth? 
A  further  result  Is  the  breaking  up  of  the  foun- 
dations of  public  morality.  Truth  and  righteous- 
ness go  together.  One  who  is  more  liberal  than 
the  doctrine  of  Christ  Is  sure  to  be  broader  than 
the  moral  law.  It  would  not  be  just  to  say  that  all 
"liberals"  are  on  the  wrong  side  of  all  current 
questions  of  reform;  but  It  Is  quite  within  bounds 
to  say  that  ministers  and  laymen  who  stand  by  the 
evangelical  faith  can  always  be  depended  on  to 
support  the  sanctions  of  the  Sabbath,  temperance, 
the  marriage  relation,  and  every  other  proposition 
which  concerns  the  welfare  of  society.  When  the 
question  of  opening  our  saloons  on  Sunday  was 
pending  recently  In  the  Legislature  at  Albany,  the 
State  was  ransacked  to  find  ministers  who  would 
advocate  It.  A  few  were  found ;  eleven  in  all ;  and 
there  was  not  one  among  them  who  stood  for  the 
Inspiration  of  the  Bible  or  the  Deity  of  Christ. 


What  Shall  We  Do  With  It?     267 

It  Is  worth  while  for  those  who  thoughtlessly 
declaim  against  doctrine  and  clamor  for  "ethical 
sermons"  to  remember  that  truth  and  morality 
walk  hand  in  hand.  There  is  no  sound  and  de- 
pendable morality  which  does  not  find  its  basis 
In  obedience  to  truth  as  revealed  in  the  Word  of 
God.  To  abandon  that  truth,  as  a  whole  or  in 
any  essential  part,  is  to  loosen  the  sanctions  of 
right  and  righteousness;  for  "as  he  thinketh  within 
himself  so  is  he." 

Where  is  the  remedy? — The  remedy  is  with  the 
people.  In  the  philosophy  of  the  gospel  it  is  the 
people  and  not  the  priests  or  hierarchy  that  con- 
stitute the  Church.  Ministers  are  called  not  to 
lord  it  over  God's  heritage,  but  to  serve  the  people 
as  their  spiritual  guides.  The  people,  therefore, 
have  the  right  to  insist  that  their  pastors  shall  be 
loyal  to  the  divine  oracles  and  true  to  their  ordi- 
nation vows,  or  else  "step  down  and  out." 

And,  having  the  right,  they  have  the  power  also. 
It  is  recorded  that  John  Knox,  In  a  famous  con- 
troversy with  Queen  Mary,  said,  "Madam,  when 
princess  do  exceed  the  just  bounds  of  their  authority 
their  subjects  may  resist,  and  with  power!"  The 
people  of  the  Church  have  a  larger  warrant  for 
assuming  a  like  attitude  toward  those  who  minister 
to  them  in  spiritual  things. 

The  responsibility  of  the  situation  must  sooner 
or  later  be  assumed  by  the  laity :  for,  as  John  Fos- 
ter said,  "Power  to  the  last  atom  Is  responsibility." 


268  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

And  here  lies  the  hope  of  the  outlook.  Whatever 
may  be  said  of  many  In  the  ministry,  the  heart  of 
the  people  beats  true  to  the  oracles.  Lincoln  was 
fond  of  saying,  "You  can  trust  the  people." 
Christ  said :  "He  that  Is  a  hirehng  and  not  a  shep- 
herd .  .  .  fleeth  because  he  Is  a  hireling,  and  car- 
eth  not  for  the  sheep.  I  am  the  good  shepherd 
and  I  know  mine  own,  and  mine  own  know  me 
.  .  .  and  I  lay  down  my  life  for  my  sheep."  In 
other  words,  the  saving  factor  In  the  problem  of 
the  world  Is  the  loyalty  of  the  people  to  the  teach- 
ings of  Christ. 

And  this  is  a  matter  of  Individual  responsibility. 
The  Church  Is  as  the  units  which  constitute  It. 
Wherefore,  It  behooves  every  one  who  professes 
to  follow  Christ  to  regard  himself  as  a  sentinel  In 
charge  of  the  deposit  of  catholic  truth.  Let  him 
stand  without  weakening,  and  defend  his  trust 
without  swerving.  Let  him  remember  that  to  min- 
imize truth  Is  to  compromise  morals.  We  praise 
the  heroism  of  Luther  who  said,  on  a  great  oc- 
casion, "Here  I  stand;  I  cannot  otherwise;  God 
help  me!"  But  that  sort  of  heroism  lies  within 
the  province  of  every  true  follower  of  Christ.  Sto 
pro  ventate!     Stand  for  the  truth! 

The  oracles  will  stand. — Let  It  not  be  supposed 
that.  In  speaking  after  this  manner,  I  have  any 
question  as  to  the  ultimate  outcome.  The  history 
of  the  Church,  like  an  undulating  plain,  has  Its 
ups  and  downs.     Just  now  the  voice  of  Infidelity, 


What  Shall  We  Do  With  It?     269; 

silenced  beyond  the  confines  of  the  pulpit,  Is  loud 
within  It.  But  the  reaction  will  surely  come. 
God's  people  will  assert  themselves  and  maintain 
their  rights  In  the  safeguarding  of  truth.  Paul 
says,  In  this  very  letter,  in  which  he  laments  the 
inroads  of  error,  "Howbeit  the  firm  foundation  of 
God  standeth;  having  this  seal" — like  a  twofold 
inscription  on  the  sides  of  an  impregnable  rock — 
*The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his";  and,  "Let 
every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of  the  Lord  de- 
part from  unrighteousness."  In  that  double  seal 
rests  our  assurance  of  the  final  triumph  of  truth 
and  righteousness. 


HOW    TO    READ   IT 


Take,  read ! — It  should  be  read  honestly. — Systemati- 
cally.—  Critically. —  Practically. —  Prayerfully. — 
The  unfailing  light. 

Take,  read! — The  most  remarkable  book  of  the 
fourth  century  was  '*The  Confessions"  of  Augus- 
tine; the  most  remarkable  man  of  that  time  was  its 
learned  author;  and  the  most  remarkable  woman 
was  Monica,  his  mother.  She  had  dedicated  him 
to  the  ministry  in  his  infancy.  When  he  left  home 
to  pursue  his  education  she  gave  him  a  Bible  with 
her  fond  farewell.  As  time  passed,  in  the  free- 
thinking  atmosphere  of  the  Universities,  he  suf- 
fered a  total  eclipse  of  faith.  He  wandered 
farther  and  farther  from  the  true  religion  until  he 
found  himself  in  the  cold  region  of  doubt  and  in- 
tellectual despair.  He  was  sitting  in  a  garden  at 
Rome,  lost  in  despondency,  when  a  child's  voice 
was  heard  in  the  distance  singing  a  song  with  this 
refrain,  ''Tolle,  lege:'  As  he  entered  the  house 
his  eyes  fell  upon  his  neglected  Bible,  Tolle,  lege! 
'Take,  read!"  And,  reading,  his  faith  came  back 
to  him. 

I  wonder  how  many  Bibles  there  are  inscribed 
with  these  words  by  a  loving  mother's  hand:  "Thy 

270 


How  TO  Read  It  271 

Word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet  and  a  light  unto  my 
path"  ?  My  mother  wrote  It  on  the  fly-leaf  of  the 
Bible  she  gave  me  when  I  left  home.  I  was  go- 
ing out  Into  the  world,  away  from  the  Influence  of 
home  and  the  family  altar,  no  more  to  be  tethered 
by  a  mother's  apron-strings.  It  was  the  best  she 
could  do :  to  give  me  a  prayer  and  a  light  for  my 
pathway. 

Have  you  such  a  Bible  ?  Where  Is  It  ?  In  some 
forgotten  place?  On  the  top-shelf  of  your  book- 
case, covered  with  dust?  Tolle,  lege!  Take  It 
down,  brush  away  the  dust,  and  read  It ! 

But  why  read  the  Bible?  Because  we  need 
light;  and  this  Book  professes  to  be  a  light  for  the 
journey  of  life.  We  walk  In  darkness — the  dark- 
ness of  sin  and  sorrow,  of  doubt  and  unbelief. 
We  stumble  on  the  dark  mountains.  He  Is  a  singu- 
larly fortunate  man  who.  In  front  of  the  great 
problems  that  have  to  do  with  life  and  Immortal- 
ity, does  not  feel  the  need  of  a  light  to  walk  by. 

But  how  shall  we  read  It?  That  depends  al- 
together on  whether  we  believe  It  or  not.  You 
may  not  be  a  Christian;  you  may  never  have  ac- 
cepted Christ  as  your  Saviour,  or  the  Bible  as  your 
spiritual  guide.  In  any  case,  however,  It  would 
be  well  to  read  it. 

It  should  be  read  honestly. — You  say  you  want 
to  know,  to  begin  with,  whether  It  Is  the  Word  of 
God.  This  Is  its  claim;  and  the  only  way  to  re- 
fute or  verify  that  claim  is  to  open  the  Book  and 


272  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

search  It.  But  you  must  do  that  without  bias. 
The  Bible  Is  entitled  to  a  "square  deal."  So  much 
Is  due  from  you  as  an  honest  man. 

It  Is,  however,  not  an  easy  thing  to  approach  the 
Bible  without  prejudice  In  these  days.  The  air  Is 
so  full  of  antl-BIbllcal  sentiment  that  a  hostile  bias 
Is  almost  Inevitable,  In  the  nature  of  the  case.  In 
some  of  our  theological  seminaries  the  students  are 
exhorted  to  read  the  Bible  as  mere  literature. 
They  are  advised  beforehand  that  Its  trustworthi- 
ness Is  an  old-wives'  fable,  a  fond  mother's  dream, 
to  be  put  away  with  other  childish  things.  Thus 
the  bias  pro  Is  supplanted  by  a  bias  contra;  and 
fair  dealing  Is  practically  out  of  the  question. 

It  Is  obvious  that  If  there  Is  to  be  no  bias  In 
favor  of  the  truth  of  Scripture  there  should  cer- 
tainly be  no  bias  against  It.  So  much  Is  necessary 
In  the  Interest  of  common  honesty.  If  any  man 
will  thus  address  himself  to  the  careful  reading  of 
this  Book,  with  a  mind  open  to  conviction,  his 
verdict  Is  a  foregone  conclusion.  He  will  surely 
come  to  regard  It  as  the  veritable  Word  of  God. 

But  suppose  he  decides  that  It  Is  not  so?  Shall 
he  then  go  on  reading  It?  Just  as  he  chooses.  It 
then  becomes  a  matter  of  relative  unimportance 
whether  he  reads  It  or  not.  To  be  sure,  It  Is  the 
great  masterpiece  of  literature  and  he  would  be 
wise  to  familiarize  himself  with  Its  poetry.  Its  elo- 
quence, Its  philosophy,  etc.  But,  after  all,  he  will 
take  only  the  same  sort  of  Interest  In  the  Bible  as 
in  Plutarch's  "Lives"  or  Shakespeare's  plays  or 


How  TO  Read  It  273 

**iEsop's  Fables"  or  the  "Arabian  Nights."  He 
reads  only  because  he  perceives  that  he  can  not  be 
liberally  educated  without  it. 

But  suppose  that,  on  examination,  the  Book 
commends  itself  to  him  as  the  true  and  trustworthy 
Word  of  God?  Then  it  follows  that  he  must  read 
it  in  a  different  way.  As  an  honest  man  he  stands 
now  committed  to  its  truth.  If  he  be  a  minister, 
he  must  honestly  ^maintain  and  defend  it.  If  he 
be  a  church  member  he  will  find  that  loyalty  to 
the  Scriptures  is  involved  in  his  covenant  vow. 
The  truth  of  the  Book  has  ceased  to  be  an  open 
question  for  him.  That  has  been  settled.  The 
Bible  is  no  longer  in  the  common  category  of 
books.  It  stands  out,  far  and  away,  beyond  and 
above  them  all,  distinguished  and  differentiated  by 
the  fact  of  its  inspiration.  He  thinks  of  the  Bible 
as  Moses  thought  of  the  burning  bush.  The  des- 
ert of  Midian  was  full  of  acacia  bushes;  but  there 
was  only  one  from  which  the  voice  called,  "I  Am 
that  I  Am!"  So  to  the  believer  there  is  only  one 
Book  so  inspired  that  God  is  its  author  in  such  a 
sense  that  it  is  divinely  said  to  have  been  "breathed 
of  God." 

So  then  he  reads  with  a  prejudgment  in  Its 
favor.  He  reads  because  he  regards  it  as  a  lamp 
unto  his  feet  and  a  light  unto  his  path.  He  reads 
not  to  discover  whether  the  Book  is  true  or  not, 
but  with  the  expectation  of  finding  truth  in  it.  It 
IS  his  friend  the  Bible;  and  as  a  friend  It  clasps  his 
hand  and  leads  him  along  the  way. 


274  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

It  should  be  read  systematically,  just  as  one  at- 
tends to  the  common  needs  and  obligations  of  life. 
This  reading  should  be  done  at  regular  times.  In 
the  morning?  Surely;  for  then  we  pass,  alone  and 
otherwise  blind,  into  the  unknown  country  of  an- 
other day.  At  night?  Without  fail;  for  then 
again  we  pass  Into  an  unknown  country  where  we 
are  wholly  dependent  upon  the  care  of  God. 

It  should  be  read  also  In  some  methodical  way. 
A  good  plan  Is  to  read  it  seriatim;  that  is,  through 
and  through,  from  beginning  to  end. 

It  should  be  read,  also,  by  books  and,  not  infre- 
quently, a  book  at  a  sitting.  Does  that  look  like  a 
terrible  task?  Let  us  see.  The  longest  book  in 
the  Old  Testament  is  the  Psalter,  which  occupies 
about  sixty  pages;  not  nearly  so  long  as  Spenser's 
"Faery  Queen."  The  longest  book  In  the  New 
Testament  is  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  which  is  about 
the  length  of  one  of  Shakespeare's  plays.  The 
story  of  Esther  is  seven  pages  long,  and  the  sweet 
pastoral  of  Ruth  is  three  pages,  neither  of  them 
as  long  as  a  short  magazine  story.  The  difficulty, 
therefore,  is  an  imaginary  one.  The  habit  of 
reading  the  Bible  In  brief  and  choppy  portions  only 
Is  not  calculated  to  create  a  proper  interest  In  it. 
We  would  not  think,  for  a  moment,  of  reading 
other  books  that  way. 

It  should  be  read  critically. — ^The  Bible  is  not 
afraid  of  fire  and  acid.     When  Christ  said,  "Ye 


How  TO  Read  It  275 

search  the  Scriptures,"  he  used  the  word  eraunate; 
2L  technical  word  used  of  a  hound  on  the  scent.  It 
suggests  a  most  severe  scrutiny.  And  this  Book 
is  worthy  of  It,  because  the  secret  of  eternal  life 
is  in  it. 

You  ask,  "What  helps  are  needed  to  read  and 
study  the  Scriptures  in  this  way?"  Get  a  Cruden's 
Concordance,  a  Bible  Dictionary  and  a  short  Com- 
mentary, and  you  will  need  nothing  else.  But 
whatever  helps  you  use,  be  sure  you  do  not  farm 
out  your  thinking  to  any  other  man.  Be  your  own 
Biblical  expert.     Let  no  man  take  thy  crown ! 

But,  after  all,  the  best  help  to  the  understand- 
ing of  the  Bible  is  the  Bible  itself.  The  way  to 
interpret  Scripture  is  to  compare  Scripture  with 
Scripture.  Use  the  marginal  references  for  this 
purpose. 

And  form  the  habit  of  topical  study.  To  illus- 
trate: take  the  word  "love"  or  "repentance"  or 
"faith,"  and  follow  it  up  in  your  Concordance  un- 
til you  get  the  tout  ensemble  of  the  matter  in  hand. 
It  was  thus  that  Mr.  Moody  made  himself  the 
wonderful  Biblical  expert  that  he  was.  He  came 
upon  the  word  "grace"  in  a  difficult  passage  of 
Scripture,  and  began  to  trace  It  through  the  Book 
in  parallel  passages.  The  farther  he  went  the 
more  absorbed  he  became.  In  his  Concordance 
he  found  two  columns  of  references  to  the  word; 
and  when  he  got  through  with  them  he  was  so 
filled  with  the  subject  of  grace  that  he  stopped  the 


276  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

first  man  whom  he  met  on  the  street  and  mentioned 
it.  *'What  do  you  mean  by  grace?"  asked  the 
man.  Mr.  Moody  replied,  "I  mean  the  grace  of 
God  which  bringeth  salvation  and  hath  appeared 
to  all  men." 

In  this  critical  study  of  the  Scriptures  you  will 
find  difficulties,  no  doubt.  You  will  come  up 
against  many  problems  which  will  baffle  you.  Is 
that  to  be  wondered  at?  Daniel  Webster  wisely 
said,  "If  I  could  understand  the  Bible  with  my 
finite  mind,  I  could  not  possibly  believe  that  an 
infinite  God  made  it."  Do  not  expect  to  solve  all 
difficulties.  Let  it  suffice  that  they  are  not  against 
reason.  The  fact  that  they  are  above  reason  is 
nothing  against  them.  Lay  them  aside  as  you  lay 
aside  the  bones  at  your  Thanksgiving  dinner,  not 
expecting  to  masticate  them.  Leave  the  dark  and 
difficult  things  to  God.  Be  satisfied  to  eat  what  is 
edible,  and  to  apprehend  so  much  as  is  necessary 
to  meet  your  present  needs  and  solve  the  vital 
problem  of  the  endless  life. 

It  should  be  read  practically.— What  you  need 
as  a  follower  of  Christ  is  an  infallible  rule  of  faith 
and  practice;  and  here  you  have  it. 

That  means,  on  the  one  hand,  that  you  are  to 
believe  what  it  says.  It  solves  every  one  of  the 
great  questions  of  the  spiritual  life,  and  it  solves 
them  with  a  "Thus  salth  the  Lord."  You  may  not 
always  be  pleased  with  the  doctrines  which  it  pre- 
sents or  with  its  way  of  presenting  them;  but  In- 


How  TO  Read  It  277 

asmuch  as  God's  thoughts  are  not  as  our  thoughts, 
our  personal  opinion  must  not  prevent  or  abbre- 
viate our  loyalty  to  the  Word  of  God. 

And,  on  the  other  hand,  as  the  Book  is  our  rule 
of  conduct  we  must  read  with  the  intention  of 
following  It.  This  Is  what  Is  meant  by  the  state- 
ment that  "every  scripture  Inspired  of  God  Is  also 
profitable  for  teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correction, 
for  Instruction  which  Is  In  righteousness;  that  the 
man  of  God  may  be  complete,  furnished  com- 
pletely, unto  every  good  work.'* 

If  you  take  the  Bible  as  It  stands  you  will  find 
yourself  provided  thus  with  a  creed  and  a  Moral 
Code;  and  these  two  are  a  sufficient  equipment  for 
our  spiritual  life. 

It  should  be  read  prayerfully. — For,  Inasmuch  as 
spiritual  things  are  spiritually  discerned,  we  are 
constantly  dependent  upon  the  Spirit  of  God.  In 
our  Saviour's  final  Interview  with  the  disciples  In 
the  upper  room,  he  told  them  of  the  unspeakable 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who,  he  said,  "shall  guide 
you  Into  all  the  truth." 

The  Spirit  anoints  our  eyes  with  eyesalve  that 
we  may  see.  There  is  many  a  man  who  looks  Into 
Scripture  and  sees  nothing  but  meaningless  hiero- 
glyphics. There  Is  many  another  man  who,  read- 
ing the  clearest  statement  of  truth.  Is  repelled  by 
it.  All  this  for  want  of  the  Spirit's  eyesalve;  for 
our  natural  eyes  are  blind  to  spiritual  things. 
I  Cor.  2  :i4. 


278  Its  Authority:  The  Bible 

i\nd  the  Spirit  also  Illuminates  the  pages  of  the 
Book,  so  that  to  the  Splrlt-led  reader  things  appear 
there  which  are  not  visible  to  other  eyes.  And  the 
one  thing  which  the  open  eyes  of  the  twice-born 
man  can  clearly  see  in  Scripture  is  the  Name  which 
is  "above  every  name  that  Is  named,  not  only  in 
this  world,  but  also  In  that  which  is  to  come."  To 
him  the  face  of  Jesus  looks  out  of  the  oracles;  his 
voice  speaks  In  every  truth  and  precept;  his  hands 
beckon  In  *'the  exceeding  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises." Thus  reading  with  prayer,  he  holds  the  key 
to  the  inner  place  of  truth. 

**In  nomine  Jesu^^  was  the  legend  that  floated 
from  the  topmast  of  the  Pinta  when  Columbus 
sailed  through  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  in  quest  of 
Eldorado.  In  the  same  Name  we  search  the  Scrip- 
tures, in  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  for  the  hid  treas- 
ures that  make  us  rich  toward  God. 

Let  me  end  where  I  began,  with  the  word  that 
led  Augustine  into  the  light:  Tolle,  lege.  Take 
the  Book  and  read  it.  Read  it  as  a  follower  of 
Christ;  lovingly,  because  he  loved  it;  and  believ- 
ingly,  because  he  believed  it;  and  practically,  be- 
cause he  lived  by  it. 

The  unfailing  light. — A  missionary  on  the  fron- 
tier was  called  to  a  farmhouse,  five  miles  across  the 
trackless  prairie,  to  minister  at  a  death-bed.  It 
was  midnight  when  he  set  out  to  return,  and  the 
skies  were  black  and  lowering.  The  farmer  gave 
him  a  pine  torch,  saying,  *'It  will  light  you 
home."     The  missionary  said,  "It  is  so  little;  do 


How  TO  Read  It  279 

you  think  It  will  hold  out?"  The  farmer  an- 
swered, ''It  will  last  to  light  you  home."  The 
missionary  said,  "The  wind  Is  blowing  hard." 
The  farmer  answered,  "Don't  be  afraid;  It  will 
resist  the  wind  and  light  you  home."  The  mis- 
sionary said,  "There's  a  rain  coming  on."  The 
farmer  answered,  "Draw  your  cloak  about  the 
torch  and  the  rain  won't  hurt  it;  be  sure  it  will 
light  you  home."  So  I  say  concerning  this  blessed 
Book, 

**  Lead,  kindly  light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom; 
Lead  thou  me  on!  " 

And  it  will !  It  will  lead  you  along  the  steep  paths 
and  through  the  deep  waters  and  on  past  the 
shadow  of  death.  It  will  light  you  clear  home,  to 
the  gate  of  heaven  and  the  City  of  God. 


PART   IV 

ITS    ORGANIZATION:    THE 
CHURCH 


"A  Building  Fitly  Framed  To- 
gether''         Page  283 

The  Dynamic  of  the  Church     .  Page  295 

A  Mobilized  Church     ....  Page  309 

The  Church  at  the  Crossroads  .  Page  319 

The  Church  Triumphant  .     .     .  Page  331 

Forward  to  Christ! Page  341 


Part    IV-ITS    ORGANIZATION: 
THE   CHURCH 

*'A    BUILDING    FITLY    FRAMED 
TOGETHER'' 

An  architectural  figure. — Christ  the  cornerstone. — The 
foundation. — The  superstructure. — Growth  organic. 
— End  of  the  growth. — Living  stones. 

An  architectural  figure. — The  word  "edify"  Is 
one  of  the  earmarks  of  Paul's  philosophy.  It 
presents  an  architectural  figure  meaning  literally, 
temple-building.  The  word  occurs  nineteen  times 
in  Paul's  epistles.  Sometimes  it  is  used  with  ref- 
erence to  the  making  of  character,  but  oftener  it 
refers  to  the  building  of  the  Church  of  God. 

The  Christians  of  Ephesus  would  readily  grasp 
the  meaning  of  this  architectural  figure,  since  they 
lived  under  the  shadow  of  Diana's  Temple,  which 
was  one  of  the  seven  Wonders  of  the  World.  It 
was  four  hundred  feet  long  and  about  two  hundred 
wide,  and  was  more  than  two  centuries  in  building. 
Its  roof  was  supported  by  sixty-seven  columns  of 
jasper.  Its  walls  were  adorned  by  Apelles;  its  high 
altar  was  designed  by  Praxiteles;  and  so  secure  was 
its  sanctuar}^  that  kings  were  wont  to  deposit  their 
valuables  there.  Alexander  offered  the  spoils  of 
an  Eastern  campaign  for  the  privilege  of  Inscribing 

283 


284     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

his  name  above  one  of  its  portals,  and  was  refused. 
Its  dome  was  surmounted  by  a  colossal  statue  of 
Diana,  which  caught  the  sunlight  of  each  morning 
on  a  golden  shield. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  this  temple  and  within 
hearing  of  its  elaborate  worship,  dwelt  a  humble 
body  of  believers  in  Christ.  They  were  "a  feeble 
folk  like  the  cronies."  To  them  the  apostle  writes : 
Be  of  good  courage!  ye  are  the  living  parts  of  a 
grander  sanctuary,  whose  glory  shall  endure  when 
the  walls  of  the  temple  of  great  Diana  shall  have 
crumbled  to  dust.  For  ye  are  "built  upon  the  apos- 
tles and  prophets,  Christ  Jesus  himself  being  the 
chief  cornerstone,  in  whom  each  several  building, 
fitly  framed  together,  groweth  into  a  holy  Temple 
in  the  Lord." 

In  this  passage  we  have  a  fine  illustration  of 
Paul's  singular  power  of  condensation.  Here  is 
ecclesiology  in  a  nutshell.  The  text  naturally  falls 
apart;  and  in  its  five  particulars  we  have  a  compre- 
hensive monograph  of  the  philosophy  of  the 
Church  as  a  spiritual  house,  "a  house  not  made 
with  hands." 

Christ  the  Cornerstone. — A  few  years  ago  the 
engineers  of  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  by 
sinking  shafts  and  opening  galleries  along  the  walls 
of  the  ancient  Temple,  came  upon  its  primitive 
foundations  seventy  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  At  its  lowest  angle  they  found  a  stone 
four  feet  thick  and  fourteen  broad,  which  they  re- 


*'A  Building  Fitly  Framed''         285 

garded,  not  without  reason,  as  the  primitive  cor- 
nerstone. To  their  minds  it  was  not  Improbable 
that  this  was  the  very  stone  which  Isaiah  had  In 
mind  when  he  uttered  the  Messianic  prophecy, 
'^Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion  for  a  foundation  a  stone, 
a  tried  stone,  a  precious  cornerstone."  It  was 
known  as  "the  binder,"  because  of  Its  obvious  re- 
lation to  the  connecting  walls.  And  this  Is  pre- 
cisely the  relation  of  Christ  to  his  Church;  In 
whom  "each  several  building  Is  fitly  framed  to- 
gether." 

The  change  from  "the  whole  building"  to  "each 
several  building"  In  the  Revised  Version  brings 
out  the  fact  of  unity  In  diversity.  The  Church  is 
made  up  of  denominations,  as  a  building  is  com- 
posed of  its  several  parts;  but  observe,  each  of  the 
several  parts  rests  on  Christ. 

So  the  Cornerstone  becomes  a  touchstone  of  de- 
nominational legitimacy.  The  fact  that  any  de- 
nomination calls  Itself  "Christian"  is  of  little  or 
no  significance.  The  question  Is,  Does  It  accept 
Christ  as  Prophet,  Priest  and  King?  Does  It  re- 
ceive salvation  from  him  as  the  only  Priest,  Its 
creed  from  him  as  the  only  Prophet,  and  Its  orders 
from  him  as  the  only  King?  If  it  be  "broader" 
than  Christ,  It  cannot  rest  upon  him. 

And  Christ  Is  also  made  the  touchstone  of 
ecclesiastical  unity.  We  hear  much  sentimental 
vaporing.  In  these  days,  about  the  union  of  Chris- 
tians, Jews,  Moslems,  Unitarians,  et  cetera.  In  one 
great  fellowship;  and  this  Is  alleged  to  be  In  pur- 


286     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

suance  of  the  prayer  of  Jesus  "that  they  may  all 
be  one.''  It  Is,  In  truth,  the  very  opposite  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ.  He  had  no  thought  In  his  sacer- 
dotal prayer  of  any  possible  union  of  friends  and 
foes,  but  of  such  only  as  believe  In  him.  He  did 
not  pray  "that  they  may  all  be  one";  but  he  did 
pray  thus:  "That  they  may  all  be  one  even  as 
thou.  Father,  art  In  me  and  I  In  thee;  that  they 
also  may  be  In  us."  The  basis  of  union,  therefore, 
as  marked  out  by  the  Master,  Is  a  vital  and  sym- 
pathetic oneness  which  finds  its  analogy  In  the  hy- 
postatic union  of  the  Son  with  the  Father  and 
which  rests  on  a  cordial  and  absolute  acceptance  of 
Him  as  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God. 

The  purpose  of  the  Church  Is  to  establish  the 
kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  on  earth.  To  this  end 
its  ministry  was  ordained  and  commissioned:  "Go 
ye  into  all  the  world  and  declare  the  evangel." 
This  is  the  message  of  the  Gospel — "Christ  and 
him  crucified."  Nothing  else?  Nothing  else. 
Whatever  the  preacher's  theme.  It  must  serve  as  a 
thoroughfare  leading  to  Christ.  "Jews  ask  for 
signs  and  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom;  but  we  preach 
Christ  crucified,  unto  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and 
unto  Gentiles  foolishness;  but  unto  them  that  are 
called,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of 
God  and  the  wisdom  of  God."  No  man  can  be  a 
truly  ordained  and  authenticated  minister  of  Christ 
who  does  not  make  It  his  supreme  business  to  mag- 
nify Christ's  name  and  to  exalt  It  above  every 
other  which  Is  named  in  heaven  or  on  earth;  as  he 


*'A  Building  Fitly  Framed''         287 

himself  said,  "I,  If  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all 
men  unto  myself." 

And  by  the  same  token  no  man  Is  a  true  and 
sincere  member  of  the  Christian  Church  whose  life 
Is  not  hid  with  Christ  In  God.  The  Christian  re- 
ligion Is  purely,  in  Its  last  reduction,  a  personal  re- 
lation with  Christ.  The  Christian  accepts  him  as 
his  sacrifice  for  sin,  abides  In  him  as  the  branch 
abides  In  the  vine,  imitates  him  In  the  building  of 
character,  follows  him  In  the  path  of  daily  duty, 
and  Is  so  vitally  joined  with  him  that  he  can  say, 

*'  My  Lord,  my  life,  my  sacrifice, 
My  Saviour  and  my  all!" 

The  foundation  of  the  Church  Is  "the  apostles 
and  prophets" — a  phrase  used  to  designate  the 
Scripture.  In  the  Old  Testament  the  prophets 
pointed  forward  to  Christ;  In  the  New  Testament 
the  apostles  make  record  of  his  atonement  as  an 
accomplished  fact;  and  the  twofold  Book  is  a  com- 
plete revelation  of  the  divine  word  and  will. 

I  wonder  whether  those  who  are  engaged  in 
undermining  the  popular  faith  In  the  Scriptures  are 
aware  of  what  they  are  doing?  "If  the  founda- 
tions be  destroyed,  what  can  the  righteous  do?" 

The  creed  of  the  Church  is  derived  solely  from 
the  Scriptures  as  the  Word  of  God.  The  only 
Christ  we  have  Is  the  Christ  there  revealed  to  us. 
He  said,  "Search  the  Scriptures,  ...  for  these 
are  they  which  testify  of  me."  To  impair  their 
credibility  is,  therefore,  to  Impugn  the  veracity  of 


288     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

the  only  historic  witnesses  to  the  religion  of  Christ. 
If  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures  could  be  successfully 
assailed,  we  should  be  left  mourning,  like  the 
Magdalene  at  the  empty  tomb :  "They  have  taken 
away  the  Lord  out  of  the  tomb  and  we  know  not 
where  they  have  laid  him." 

The  moral  code  of  the  Church  is  also  derived 
from  the  Scriptures.  It  is  briefly  contained  in  two 
great  ethical  symbols,  to  wit,  the  Decalogue  and 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  to  which  must  be  added 
the  personal  example  of  Jesus  as  the  Ideal  Man. 
If  the  integrity  of  the  Scriptures  were  to  be  de- 
stroyed, our  Christian  morality  would  have  no 
better  basis  than  that  of  the  Hindus  and  Moham- 
medans. John  Knox  spoke  truly  when,  being  ad- 
monished of  the  wrath  of  Queen  Mary,  as  he  was 
going  to  Holyrood,  Vv^ith  a  blue  Genevan  cloak 
over  his  shoulder  and  a  Bible  under  his  arm,  he 
replied,  "All  hell  cannot  prevail  against  the  man 
that  hath  in  his  left  hand  a  candle  to  illuminate 
his  right!"  But  suppose  that  candle  be  put  out, 
what  then? 

The  very  franchise  of  the  Church's  life  is  de- 
rived from  the  Scriptures.  It  has  no  other  raison 
d'etre.  Its  sole  business  is  to  propagate  the  Word 
for  the  conversion  of  the  world;  as  it  is  written, 
"My  word  .  .  .  shall  not  return  unto  me  void; 
but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  it 
shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it."  We 
are  asked  derisively,  "Is  Christianity,  then,  a  re- 
ligion of  a  book?"     It  is  certainly  the  religion  of 


"A  Building  Fitly  Framed''         289 

the  Book  which  records  the  Christ;  of  the  Book 
from  which  we  derive  our  only  creed,  our  only- 
code  of  morals  and  our  only  franchise  of  eccle- 
siastical life.  Wherefore,  we  say  to  all  who  pro- 
fess to  be  Christians,  Stand  by  the  Bible !  Read 
it,  search  it,  pray  over  it,  love  it,  and  live  by  it ! 

But,  though  we  thus  speak,  we  know  that  the 
'Bible^  is  in  no  danger.  It  is  as  Gladstone  said, 
''the  impregnable  rock";  more  impregnable  than 
Gibraltar,  which  the  fleets  of  centuries  have  bom- 
barded in  vain.  No,  the  Bible  is  in  no  danger; 
but  there  is  danger  that  multitudes  will  suffer  ship- 
wreck by  following  the  leadership  of  those  who 
speciously  assail  it.  And  there  is  danger  that  such 
false  teachers  will  themselves  fall  under  the  denun- 
ciation of  Christ:  "It  is  impossible  but  that  occa- 
sions of  stumbling  should  come ;  but  woe  unto  him 
through  whom  they  come !  It  were  well  for  him 
if  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his  neck  and  he 
were  thrown  into  the  sea." 

The  superstructure  of  the  Church  is  its  living 
membership.  This  thought  is  expressed  by  Peter 
where  he  says,  "Ye  also,  as  living  stones,  are  built 
up  a  spiritual  house."  This  expression,  "living 
stones,"  is  a  singular  one. 

It  is  recorded  that  on  one  occasion,  as  Jesus  was 
going  out  of  the  Temple,  his  disciples  said, 
"Teacher,  behold,  what  manner  of  stones  and  what 
manner  of  buildings!"  Wonderful,  indeed,  were  the 
stones  of  that  Temple.    Josephus  says  in  his  "An- 


290     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

tlqultles"  that  some  of  them  were  twenty-five  cubits 
by  twelve ;  that  is  forty  by  twenty  feet.  By  what 
engineering  skill  were  those  ponderous  masses 
lifted  into  place?  Wonderful  stones!  But  the 
stones  in  God's  spiritual  Temple  are  more  wonder- 
ful, for  they  are  endowed  with  life.  The  bricks  of 
the  ruined  temples  of  Nineveh  are  marked  with  the 
cartouches  of  contemporary  kings;  but  the  stones 
of  this  Temple  have  been  touched  by  God's  finger 
and  thrilled  through  and  through  with  the  electric 
power  of  his  life. 

This  means  that  Christians  must  do  something 
more  than  merely  lie  in  their  places.  It  means 
that  Church-membership  is  more  than  a  name  on 
a  roster.  It  means  that  the  church  is  devoted  to 
something  more  than  the  letter  of  truth  or  liturgi- 
cal forms  or  ethical  precepts.  "I  came,"  said 
Christ,  "that  they  may  have  life  and  may  have  it 
abundantly."  And  again,  "You  did  he  make  alive 
who  were  dead  through  your  trespasses  and  sins." 

In  one  of  Ruskin's  lectures  he  defines  architec- 
ture as  "frozen  music."  But  this  is  not  true  of  the 
architecture  of  the  Church.  The  stones  of  this 
Temple  have  hearts  that  pulsate  with  divine  love ; 
they  have  hands  stretched  forth  in  mutual  service; 
they  have  voices  that  sing,  "All  hail  the  power  of 
Jesus'  name,"  and,  "Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds!" 
They  have  hearts  beating  In  quick  response  to  the 
world's  need,  hands  to  help  the  helpless,  and  voices 
calling  like  those  of  life-savers  from  the  shore  on  a 
stormy  night,  "Throw  out  the  life-line!"    Frozen 


"A  Building  Fitly  Framed''         291 

music?  Ah,  no!  What  a  picture  of  a  living 
Church  Is  here!  Every  part  of  this  great  super- 
structure palpitates  with  life. 

Growth  organic. — The  Church,  thus  constituted, 
''groweth,"  as  Paul  expresses  it.  The  word  is  not 
such  as  was  customarily  used  of  mere  accretion,  as 
when  a  fabric  grows,  thread  upon  thread,  In  the 
loom;  or  as  when  a  palace  grows,  stone  by  stone; 
but  It  has  reference  to  organic  growth;  that  Is,  the 
growth  of  a  plant  or  tree,  by  reason  of  life  within 
It.  It  Is,  In  brief,  a  word  picture  of  the  parable  of 
Christ:  '^The  kingdom  of  heaven  Is  like  unto  a 
grain  of  mustard  seed,  .  .  .  which  indeed  Is  less 
than  all  seeds;  but  when  it  Is  grown  It  .  .  .  be- 
cometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  heaven  come 
and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof.'* 

The  growth  of  the  Church  Is  measured  by  that 
of  the  Individual  believers  who  constitute  It.  God's 
life  Is  the  germinating  principle.  This  Is  the  In- 
fluence referred  to  by  Paul  where  he  speaks  of  the 
whole  body  as  being  "fitly  framed  and  knit  to- 
gether through  that  which  every  joint  supplieth, 
according  to  the  working  In  due  measure  of  each 
several  part,  making  increase  of  the  body  unto  the 
building  up  of  itself  in  love." 

But  apart  from  the  growth  of  individual  be- 
lievers there  Is  a  distinct  growth  of  the  mighty 
coherent  unit  which  we  call  "the  Holy  Catholic 
Church."  The  record  of  this  growth  Is  history. 
And  the  ultimatum  of  history  Is  the  coming  of 
Christ  to  occupy  his  Church  and  reign  over  It. 


292     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

The  story  of  ecclesiastical  progress  has  been  con- 
stant from  the  beginning  until  now.  We  some- 
times place  our  finger  on  a  notable  epoch  of  history 
called  "the  Dark  Ages,"  and  say,  "Here  there  was 
an  arrest."  I  doubt  it.  If  you  put  a  plant  in  the 
cellar  it  will  not  cease  to  grow,  else  It  would  die; 
but  it  puts  forth  pale  and  sickly  fingers,  reaching 
toward  every  beam  of  light  that  creeps  through 
crevices  in  the  wall.  It  was  so  with  the  church  in 
the  Dark  Ages,  when  the  clergy  repaired  to 
cloisters  and  busied  themselves  in  the  Illumination 
of  missals  and  breviaries,  while  the  people  were 
famishing  for  the  Word.  But  there  was,  in  fact, 
no  arrest  of  growth,  because  there  was  no  real  ces- 
sation of  life.  And  what  a  marvelous  advance 
has  there  been  In  these  last  days!  The  numerical 
Increase  of  the  Church  during  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury was  more  than  during  the  entire  eighteen 
centuries  which  preceded  It.  Thus  "God  works 
in  all  things ;  all  obey  his  first  propulsion  from  the 
night." 

End  of  the  growth.— The  Church  "groweth 
Into  a  holy  Temple  in  the  Lord."  This  marks  the 
consummation.  The  Church,  notwithstanding  Its 
marvelous  progress  thus  far,  is  still  Incomplete. 
One  thing  remains  to  be  done:  the  Lord  himself 
must  descend  and  by  his  Spirit  take  personal  pos- 
session of  It.  All  hail  the  parousia!  The  Lord 
cometh!    "Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates;  and  be 


"A  Building  Fitly  Framed''        293 

ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors;  and  the  King  of 
glory  will  come  in!" 

The  Temple  of  Solomon  was  completed  In  the 
eleventh  year  of  his  reign.  At  its  dedication  the 
priests  and  Levltes,  with  the  hereditary  heads  of 
the  tribes,  were  assembled  In  the  Holy  City.  The 
king  sat  upon  his  Ivory  throne,  with  his  archers 
about  him  holding  their  golden  shields  and  clad  In 
Tyrlan  purple.  The  choirs  and  orchestras  re- 
sponded to  one  another  in  the  Grand  Hillel,  "O 
that  men  would  praise  Jehovah  for  his  lovingkind- 
ness  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the  children 
of  men!"  Then  something  occurred  whereat  all 
were  Instantly  silent;  a  fleece  of  golden  mist  flowed 
outward  from  the  Holy  of  Holies  and  enveloped 
all.  It  was  the  Shekinah,  the  most  excellent  glory. 
And  thus  the  Temple  became  the  Temple  of  God. 

The  time  Is  coming  when  Christ  shall  appear  In 
like  manner  to  make  his  Influence  felt  throughout 
the  whole  earth;  when  his  angel  shall  proclaim, 
^'The  tabernacle  of  God  Is  with  men,  and  he  shall 
dwell  with  them  and  they  shall  be  his  peoples,  and 
God  himself  shall  be  with  them  and  be  their  God." 

*'  Arise,  O  King  of  saints,  arise 
And  enter  to  thy  rest. 
Lo,  thy  Church  waits  with  longing  eyes 
Thus  to  be  owned  and  blest  !  " 

Living  stones. — ^The  Important  question  Is  as 
to  our  personal  relation  with  the  Church.     It  Is 


294     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

not  enough  to  say,  "My  name  Is  on  the  roll."  Are 
we  hving  stones  In  the  wall?  Have  we  eyes  to 
see  the  glory,  ears  to  hear  the  evangel,  hearts  that 
throb  In  unison  with  the  divine  purpose,  and  hands 
stretched  forth  to  accomplish  It?  You  may  see, 
on  any  sunny  day,  the  benches  of  our  public  parks 
occupied  by  persons  who  have  nothing  to  do.  The 
city  Is  awake;  Its  people  are  at  work;  there  are 
sounds  of  Industry  on  every  side;  but  these  fre- 
quenters of  the  benches  have  no  part  In  It. 

The  Church  Is  the  great  living  organism 
through  which  God  Is  working  by  his  Spirit  for  the 
restoration  of  the  world.  Its  true  members  are 
men  and  women  quickened  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 
Alas  for  those  who  are  In  the  Church  but  not  of 
It!  And  alas  for  those  who  are  neither  in  the 
Church  nor  of  It!  "My  Father  worketh  even 
until  now,"  said  Christ,  "and  I  work."  Here  is 
business  for  earnest  souls.  We  are  called  Into  the 
Church  that  we  may  be  "God's  fellow-workers." 


THE  DYNAMIC  OF   THE   CHURCH 


The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.— The  Church  the  Me- 
dium.— Relation  of  Church  and  Spirit. — A  Spirit- 
charged  Church. — Partial  fulfillment. — Failure  of 
the  Church. 

The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. —  It  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose,  as  many  do,  that  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  is  revealed  exclusively  in  the  Gospels 
and  only  dimly  there.  From  the  very  beginning 
the  three  Persons  of  the  Godhead  are  represented 
as  being  profoundly  interested  in  the  recovery  of 
our  fallen  race.  This  will  appear  from  a  glance 
at  the  three  divisions  of  the  history  of  God's  deal- 
ings with  men. 

The  Dispensation  of  the  Father  was  first,  in 
which  the  Law,  moral  and  ceremonial,  was  given 
for  direction  in  righteousness.  This  law  was  in- 
tended, however,  not  to  be  a  means  of  salvation  of 
itself,  but  to  serv^e  "as  a  schoolmaster  to  lead  to 
Christ."  So  we  find  in  the  types  and  symbols  as 
well  as  In  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  a 
foreshadowing  of  Messiah  who,  In  fullness  of  time, 
was  to  be  wounded  for  the  transgressions  of  fallen 
humanity,  and  a  clear  statement  also  of  the  in- 
fluence of  the  third  Person  of  the  Godhead  who 

295 


296     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

was  to  make  application  of  that  Atonement  to  the 
salvation  of  men.  But  this  dispensation  was  In- 
effectual except  as  a  preparation  of  what  should 
follow;  It  closed  In  deep  darkness,  leaving  "the 
whole  creation  groaning  and  travailing  together" 
for  something  farther  on. 

Then  came  the  Dispensation  of  the  Son;  It  con- 
tinued for  thirty-three  years  and  Is  briefly  summed 
up  In  the  words,  "He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his 
own  received  him  not."  The  teaching  of  Jesus 
emphasized  both  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the 
influence  of  the  Spirit.  This  teaching,  however, 
though  buttressed  by  the  corroborative  evidence 
of  miracles,  was  comparatively  fruitless.  The 
Teacher  himself  was  persecuted  unto  death;  but 
in  closing  his  work  he  breathed  upon  his  disciples, 
saying,  "Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost:  all  power  Is 
given  unto  me  In  heaven  and  on  earth;  go  ye,  there- 
fore, and  evangelize  all  nations." 

And  then  the  Dispensation  of  the  Spirit.  It  be- 
gan In  power  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  when,  as  the 
disciples  were  all  assembled  with  one  accord  In  one 
place,  there  came  on  a  sudden  the  sound  of  a  rush- 
ing mighty  wind,  filling  all  the  house  where  they 
were  sitting;  and  cloven  tongues  of  fire  rested  upon 
them;  and  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  power.  So  was  ushered  In  the  third  of  the 
grand  divisions  of  history,  under  which  we  are 
living,  of  which  the  Third  Person  of  the  Godhead 
is  the  Executive,  and  which  Is  to  continue  until 
"the  end  of  the  present  order  of  things." 


The  Dynamic  of  the  Church      297 

The  Church  the  medium. — The  medium  through 
which  the  Influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  Is  communi- 
cated Is  the  Church;  the  Hving  organism  which  he 
IS  employing  continuously  and  progressively  In 
bringing  about  "the  restoration  of  all  things"  and 
ushering  In  the  Golden  Age. 

One  of  the  most  significant  symbols  of  the 
Church  Is  the  golden  candlestick.  It  Is  used  In 
Scripture  on  three  notable  occasions.  First,  In  the 
vision  of  Moses,  where  God  said,  "Thou  shalt 
make  a  candlestick  of  pure  gold;  .  .  .  the  whole 
of  It  one  beaten  work  of  pure  gold  .  .  .  and  see 
that  thou  make  them  after  their  pattern  which  hath 
been  showed  thee  In  the  mount."  It  was  fifteen 
hundred  years  after  this  that  John  saw  the  same 
symbol  In  his  vision  on  Patmos;  but  there  a  new 
and  Important  addition  was  made:  "I  saw  seven 
golden  candlesticks ;  and  In  the  midst  of  the  candle- 
sticks one  like  unto  a  son  of  man,  clothed  with  a 
garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  at  the 
breasts  with  a  golden  girdle." 

Now,  midway  between  these  two  comes  the 
vision  of  Zecharlah.  It  occurred  In  the  eventful 
times  of  the  restoration,  and  Its  purpose  Is  clear. 
A  remnant  of  the  captive  Jews  had  returned  to 
Jerusalem  under  the  leadership  of  Zerubbabel, 
prince  of  Judah,  and  had  set  about  the  rebuilding 
of  the  city.  The  walls  were  finished.  In  spite  of  all 
difficulties,  Including  bitter  opposition  on  the  part 
of  the  surrounding  tribes.  This  was  followed  by 
the    restoration    of    the    Temple.       Beams    were 


298     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

brought  from  Lebanon  and  stones  from  the  quar- 
ries, and  the  foundations  were  completed,  when  the 
work  was  suddenly  discontinued.  An  unaccount- 
able spirit  of  apathy  fell  upon  the  people.  All 
efforts  to  stimulate  them  were  in  vain. 

At  this  juncture  appeared  Zechariah,  whose 
mission  was  to  arouse  the  dormant  energies  of  the 
workmen  by  assuring  them  of  immediate  success 
and  pointing  forward  to  the  coming  of  Immanuel 
and  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  Church.  He  be- 
gan with  a  series  of  visions;  one  of  which  is  that 
of  the  Golden  Candlestick  (Zech.  4:1-7),  in 
which  he  proclaims  the  divine  excellency  and  power 
and  destiny  of  Israel  as  the  Church  of  God. 

Relation  of  Church  and  Spirit. —  The  emphasis 
in  this  vision  is  distinctly  on  the  vital  relation  of 
the  Church  and  the  Spirit.  It  will  be  observed 
that  the  prophet  was  very  eager  to  understand  the 
significance  of  this  vision  in  detail  and  particular; 
just  as  exegetes  and  commentators  have  ever  since 
busied  themselves  in  the  interpretation  of  the  bowl 
and  the  lamps  and  the  seven  pipes  and  the  two 
olive-trees.  But  it  should  be  observed  that  the 
angel  was  not  explicit  upon  these  points.  "I  said, 
What  are  these,  my  lord?  Then  the  angel  .  .  . 
answered,  .  .  .  Knowest  thou  not  what  these  are? 
And  I  said,  No,  my  lord.  Then  he  answered  .  .  . 
This  is  the  word  of  Jehovah  unto  Zerubbabel,  say- 
ing, Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit ! 
.  .  .  Who  art  thou,  O  great  mountain"   [of  dif- 


The  Dynamic  of  the  Church      299 

ficulty  and  discouragement]  ?  Before  Zerubbabel 
thou  shalt  become  a  plain ;  and  he  shall  bring  forth 
the  top-stone  [of  the  Temple]  with  shoutings  of 
Grace,  grace  unto  It!" 

Unity. — It  might  not  be  unprofitable  to  dwell 
upon  the  fact  that  the  single  shaft  of  this  candle- 
stick seems  to  designate  the  unity  of  the  Church. 
All  the  lamps  upon  it  burn  together  and  commingle 
their  blaze.  It  is  true  that  the  Church  is  a  contin- 
uous body  from  the  beginning  until  now;  the  Old 
Economy  and  the  New  are  one,  the  followers  of 
Christ  being  characterized  as  "the  true  Israel  of 
God."  All  denominations  of  believers  whatso- 
ever, who  receive  Christ  as  the  only-begotten  of 
the  Father,  are  one  also;  moving  forward  like  the 
divisions  of  a  great  army,  in  different  lines  but  con- 
verging toward  the  ultimate  reign  of  Christ  as 
King  over  all  and  blessed  forever. 

Purity. — It  would  furthermore  be  proper  to  say 
that  the  gold  of  the  candlestick  seems  to  signify 
the  preclousness  of  the  Church  to  the  mind  of  God. 
The  candelabrum  was  made  ''all  of  gold."  Here 
is  no  superficial  gilding,  no  mere  outward  form 
and  ceremony,  but  the  purity  and  solidity  of  thor- 
ough consecration.  The  regard  of  Christ  for  his 
people  Is  set  forth  In  the  words,  "Having  loved  his 
own  ...  he  loved  them  unto  the  end."  He 
speaks  of  the  Church  as  his  bride,  his  martial 
bride;  not  employing  her  energies  in  self-culture 
exclusively,  as  one  beautifying  herself  with  pow- 
ders and  cosmetics,  but  "looking  forth  as  the  morn- 


300     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

ing,  fair  as  the  moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  terrible 
as  an  army  with  banners/' 

Radiance, — And  one  might  dwell,  still  further, 
on  the  high  purposes  of  the  Church  as  Indicated  In 
these  burning  lamps.  What  Is  the  business  of  the 
Church  ?  To  burn  and  to  shine.  And  the  burning 
must  needs  come  before  the  shining.  It  was  for 
lack  of  an  apprehension  of  this  fact  that  the 
Church  brought  upon  the  world  the  dreariness  of 
the  Dark  Ages.  An  unklndled  lamp  gives  no  light. 
The  burning  can  only  result  from  vital  touch  with 
God.  The  oil  of  the  living  olive-trees  must  flow 
Into  the  lamps,  else  It  is  quite  vain  to  be  saying, 
"Let  your  light  shine  before  men."  The  Church 
cannot  shine  of  itself.  A  Christian  has  no  power  of 
self-effulgence;  he  can  only  reflect  the  glory  of 
God. 

A  Spirit-charged  Church. — But  all  such  consid- 
erations are  small  and  unimportant  In  compari- 
son with  the  great  lesson  which  was  Intended  to  be 
conveyed  by  this  vision.  Once  and  again  the 
prophet  inquired,  "What  are  these  two  olive 
branches  which  are  beside  the  two  golden  spouts? 
And  he  answered,  Knowest  thou  not  what  these 
are?  And  I  said,  No,  my  lord.  Then  said  he, 
These  are  the  two  anointed  ones,  that  stand  by  the 
Lord  of  the  whole  earth."  Mystery  on  mystery! 
One  thing  only  is  made  clear;  to  wit,  ^^Not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  Je- 
hovah of  hosts.*'     The  great  truth  to  be  empha- 


The  Dynamic  of  the  Church      301 

sized  is,  therefore,  the  unspeakable  importance  of 
a  Spirit-charged  Church. 

Bowls  and  branches  and  pipes  and  olive-trees  all 
merge  themselves  into  this  important  fact,  "Not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit!"  That  is, 
the  Church,  if  it  would  accomplish  its  great  pur- 
pose, must  be  brought  into  immediate  touch  and 
kept  in  constant  communication  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  This  was  the  meaning  of  many  like  utter- 
ances under  the  old  economy;  as  where  Joel  says, 
*'It  shall  come  to  pass  afterward  that  I  will  pour 
out  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh."  This  is  the 
meaning  of  Pentecost.  And  for  lack  of  apprehend- 
ing it  the  Church  has  for  nineteen  hundred  years 
gone  murmuring,  "O  my  leanness,  my  leanness!" 

If  It  is  true  that  we  are  living  under  the  Dispen- 
sation of  the  Spirit,  how  vitally  essential  it  is  to 
the  success  of  the  Church  and  to  the  welfare  of  the 
individual  believer  that  this  truth  should  be  pressed 
home.  We  dishonor  the  Third  Person  of  the  God- 
head when  we  speak  of  him  as  a  larger  "it";  and 
we  lose  his  blessing  when  we  fail  to  remember  that 
he  Is  the  Executive  in  human  affairs  and  the  living 
Energy  of  the  Church ;  and  that  all  our  light  and 
comfort,  our  growth  in  grace  and  usefulness,  our 
peace  and  power  are  from  him. 

Four  symbols  of  the  Spirit, — ^The  influence  of 
the  Spirit  Is  represented  In  Scripture  by  four  elo- 
quent and  prophetic  symbols:  wind  or  breath, 
water,  fire  and  oil. 

The  wind  is  the  symbol  of  life.    We  live  by  the 


302     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

Spirit.  It  is  written,  "And  Jehovah  God  formed 
man  .  .  .  and  breathed  Into  his  nostrils  the  breath 
of  life;  and  man  became  a  hving  soul."  The  man 
was  previously  mere  plastic  clay;  but  when  God 
breathed  upon  him,  his  pulse  began  to  beat,  his 
blood  began  to  flow,  fire  flashed  from  his  eyes.  So 
does  the  Spirit  regenerate  those  who  are  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins;  as  Jesus  said,  "Except  one  be 
born  of  water  and  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God." 

The  next  of  these  significant  symbols  is  water. 
It  speaks  of  purifying  and  refreshing.  I  remem- 
ber a  fishing-town  on  the  coast  of  Maine  where  the 
fishermen  brought  In  their  daily  catch  and  cleaned 
it  on  the  beach ;  and  twice  a  day  the  tides  swept  In 
and  purged  the  beach  as  clean  as  a  housewife's 
floor.  So  roll  in  the  tides  of  the  Spirit,  in  the  ap- 
plication of  the  Saviour's  blood  to  purge  the  souls 
of  men. 

The  next  of  the  symbols  is  fire.  It  speaks  of 
energy.  The  blazing  orb  of  heaven  Is  the  source 
and  fountain  of  all  power  on  earth;  It  makes  the 
wheels  of  Industry  go  round.  In  like  manner  the 
Church  derives  her  power  from  the  Spirit.  With- 
out his  influence  she  is  as  insignificant  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  her  purpose  as  a  painted  ship 
upon  a  painted  ocean.  But  upon  his  baptism  the 
lambent  tongues  of  flame  rest  on  the  foreheads  of 
her  priests  and  people  alike,  and  they  are  able 
to  accomplish  mighty  things  for  him. 

The  last,  and  in  some  respects  the  most  signifi- 


The  Dynamic  of  the  Church      303 

cant  of  the  Spirit-symbols,  Is  oil.  It  sets  forth  the 
need  of  consecration.  Oil  was  used  In  the  setting 
apart  of  kings  and  prophets  and  priests  to  their 
several  offices;  and  by  the  anointing  of  the  Spirit 
men  are  still  separated  to  be  kings  and  priests  unto 
God. 

Partial  fulfillment.— Let  it  be  observed  now  that 
the  significance  of  these  symbols,  as  well  as  of  all 
prophecies  of  Scripture  touching  the  Holy  Ghost, 
is  as  yet  only  partially  fulfilled. 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost  Peter  lifted  up  his  voice 
and  said,  "Ye  men  of  Judea,  and  all  ye  that  dwell 
at  Jerusalem,  be  this  known  unto  you,  and  give  ear 
unto  my  words :  .  .  .  this  Is  that  which  hath  been 
spoken  through  the  prophet  Joel:  And  It  shall 
be  in  the  last  days,  salth  God,  I  will  pour  forth  of 
my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your 
daughters  shall  prophesy,  and  your  young  men 
shall  see  visions,  and  your  old  men  shall  dream 
dreams :  yea,  and  on  my  servants  and  on  my  hand- 
maidens in  those  days  will  I  pour  forth  of  my 
Spirit;  and  they  shall  prophesy:  and  I  will  show 
wonders  In  the  heaven  above,  and  signs  on  the 
earth  beneath;  blood,  and  fire,  and  vapor  of 
smoke:  the  sun  shall  be  turned  Into  darkness,  and 
the  moon  into  blood,  before  that  great  and  notable 
day  of  the  Lord  come.  And  it  shall  be,  that  who- 
soever shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  saved."  It  Is  obvious  that  this  prophecy  of 
Joel  was  not  "filled  full"  at  Pentecost.    Where  are 


304     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

the  "wonders  In  heaven  above  and  signs  on  the 
earth  beneath"?  Where  are  the  "blood  and  fire 
and  vapor  of  smoke"  ?  Was  the  "sun  turned  into 
darkness  and  the  moon  into  blood"  that  day?  Yet 
these  things  are  to  occur  before  the  Great  Apoc- 
alyse.  A  time  of  final  and  complete  fulfillment  is 
coming:  and  the  miracle  of  Pentecost  was  but  the 
beginning  of  it. 

In  those  "last  days"  the  prophecy  of  the  wind 
shall  be  fulfilled.  The  world  will  then  understand 
the  vision  of  Ezekiel  in  the  valley  of  dry  bones: 
"Prophesy  unto  the  wind  .  .  .  and  say  .  .  . 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah.  Come  from  the  four 
winds,  O  breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  slain,  that 
they  may  live.  So  I  prophesied  as  he  commanded 
me,  and  the  breath  came  into  them  and  they  lived, 
and  stood  up  upon  their  feet,  an  exceeding  great 
army."  We  speak  of  the  militant  Church  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Church  triumphant:  in  point 
of  fact  there  is  no  militant  Church  as  yet,  nor  will 
there  be  until  the  breath  breathes  upon  the  dry 
bones  of  Israel.  Then  shall  they  arise  upon  their 
feet,  not  an  army  of  moralists,  professors,  sacer- 
dotalists,  but  a  mobilized  host  going  forth,  under  a 
Great  Commission,  to  subdue  all  nations  as  pris- 
oners of  hope. 

In  the  last  days  the  prophecy  of  the  water  shall 
be  fulfilled.  The  rolling  In  of  the  great  final  wave 
of  the  Spirit  will  not  be  for  purifying  and  refresh- 
ing only,  but  for  the  overthrow  of  iniquity  and  the 
establishment   of  truth   and   righteousness  in  the 


The  Dynamic  of  the  Church       305 

whole  earth.  It  will  be  as  it  was  in  the  great  ca- 
tastrophe at  Lisbon,  when  a  tidal-wave  swept  over 
the  city,  fifty  feet  high,  enormous,  irresistible,  sub- 
merging all. 

In  the  last  days  the  prophecy  of  the  fire  shall  be 
fulfilled.  On  October  9,  1871,  I  stood  by  one  of 
the  bridges  in  Chicago  and  saw  tongues  of  flame 
issuing  from  rising  clouds  of  smoke  and  licking  up 
all  before  them.  Great  structures  of  iron  bulged 
and  collapsed  before  the  approaching  storm. 
Blocks  of  marble  were  thrown  into  the  air  with 
sounds  of  explosion  like  a  running  discharge  of  ar- 
tlllery.^  The  sky  was  lurid,  and  veined  as  with 
throbbing  blood.  A  power  beyond  all  human  re- 
sistance was  driving  all  before  it.  So  shall  be  the 
baptism  of  fire,  when  God  the  Spirit  shall  at  length 
make  bare  his  arm,  unsheathe  his  sword  and  sum- 
mon his  Church  to  the  final  charge  in  the  conquest 
of  the  world. 

The  prophecy  of  the  oil,  also,  remains  to  be  ful- 
filled in  those  days.  The  oil  of  consecration — alas, 
I  fear  we  know  not  the  deep  significance  of  it. 
Think  on  these  words,  'Te  are  not  your  own;  ye 
are  bought  with  a  price,"  by  the  precious  blood  of 
Jesus  "as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and  without 
spot."  When  we  understand  that  and  act  accord- 
ingly, the  blessing  will  come;  the  great  millennial 
quickening,  in  which  the  impenitent  will  be  brought 
to  their  knees  as  wheat  goes  down  before  the 
sickle.  But  wind  and  water  and  fire  all  wait  upon 
the  oil;  as  it  is  written,  "Bring  ye  the  whole  tithe 


3o8     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

together  with  thee  In  the  bringing  In  of  that  ulti- 
mate ''restoration  of  all  things,"  when  none  shall 
need  to  say,  ''Know  thou  the  Lord"  ;  but  every  knee 
shall  bow  and  every  tongue  confess  that  Jesus  Is 
the  Christ;  and  when  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea! 


A    MOBILIZED    CHURCH 


Appointing  the  Seventy.— His  friends.— Under  commis- 
sion. —  Disencumbered.  —  Fully  equipped.  —  Com- 
rades.— Enheartened  with  great  promises. — "Be- 
fore his  face."— End  of  the  campaign. 

Appointing  the  Seventy.— It  was  in  October  of 
the  last  year  of  our  Lord's  ministry.  He  had  car- 
ried on  his  work  in  the  north  country  for  a  period 
of  eighteen  months  or  thereabouts;  and  there  was 
apparently  little  or  nothing  to  show  for  it.  He 
had  been  rejected  on  every  side;  as  it  is  written, 
"He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him 
not."  In  Capernaum  the  people  turned  a  deaf  ear 
to  his  message  of  grace.  In  Gadara  they  "be- 
sought him  that  he  would  depart  from  their  bor- 
ders.'* At  Nazareth,  his  townsmen  plotted  against 
him.  So  turning  his  face  southward  he  began  his 
memorable  journey  to  Jerusalem  and  his  passion. 

This  has  been  called  "the  retreat  from  Galilee." 
Was  it,  then,  like  the  retreat  of  Napoleon  from 
Moscow;  when  the  great  captain  rode  alone, 
gloomy  and  morose,  followed  by  the  pathetic  rem- 
nant of  his  shattered  army?  Not  so.  This  was 
an  advance  all  along  the  line.  The  light  of  prog- 
ress was  in  the  Leader's  eyes.     Calm  and  hopeful 

309 


3IO     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

he  gave  the  signal  for  a  great  campaign  which  was 
to  eventuate  in  the  setting  up  on  earth  of  the  King- 
dom of  God. 

He  had  been  accompanied  thus  far  in  his  min- 
istry by  a  bodyguard  of  twelve  men;  but  their 
mission,  however  Important  In  the  formative  period 
of  the  Christian  Church,  ended  then  and  there. 
The  so-called  Apostolic  Succession  is  as  diaphan- 
ous as  the  stuff  that  dreams  are  made  of.  Now 
the  field  of  operation  enlarged,  and  the  Master  ap- 
pointed the  Seventy  ^  to  act  as  the  advance  guard 
of  a  great  multitude  who  would  march  down  the 
centuries  declaring  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ.  In  the  Instructions  given  to  them  our  Lord 
struck  the  keynote  for  the  propaganda  of  the  fu- 
ture. These  men  stand  for  the  mobilized  Church; 
and  their  marching  orders  are  the  marching  orders 
of  all  who  follow  Christ  through  the  ages. 

The  order  Is,  Forward  the  vanguard!  Yet  the 
martial  figure  is  not  wholly  In  place,  since  these 
men  were  sent  upon  an  errand  of  peace.  They 
bore  no  sword,  but  a  benediction:  "Peace  be  unto 
you!"  They  went  not  to  war,  but  to  husbandry. 
So  have  I  seen  men  thronging  the  roads  of  the 
Dakotas,  browned,  tanned,  stalwart  men  on  their 
way  to  gather  In  the  harvests  that  were  to  feed  the 
hunger  of  the  world.    The  Seventy  go  forth  with 

'  It  is  worthy  of  note,  that,  as  the  twelve  apostles  correspond  to 
the  twelve  princes  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  so  the  Seventy  correspond 
to  the  Seventy  Elders  who  were  appointed  by  Moses  to  co-operate 
with  him. 


A  Mobilized  Church  311 

sickles  in  hand,  In  pursuance  of  their  Master's 
word:  "Say  not  ye,  There  are  yet  four  months  and 
then  Cometh  the  harvest?  .  .  .  Lift  up  your  eyes, 
and  look  on  the  fields,  that  they  are  white  already 
unto  harvest."     Go,  reap  for  God! 

His  friends.— Observe  this.  All  of  these  Sev- 
enty were  friends  and  followers  of  Christ.  They 
had  heard  him  say,  "Come!"  and  had  left  all  to 
follow  him.  Everybody  knew  them  to  be  his  dis- 
ciples. This  Is  the  first  qualification  for  service: 
to  hear  the  invitation  of  Christ  and  to  heed  it  and 
to  come  out  Into  the  open,  enlisting  under  Christ's 
banner  and  putting  on  the  uniform  of  a  confessed 
soldier  of  Jesus. 

Under  commission.— They  had  not  only  heard 
Christ  say,  "Come!"  but  they  had  heard  him  say, 
"Go!"  They  were  missionaries,  that  Is,  sent-ones; 
as  he  said,  "Behold,  I  send  you." 

The  service  of  Christ  Is  business.  It  means 
more  than  the  saying  of  prayers  and  the  singing 
of  psalms.  The  Lord  said,  "After  this  manner 
therefore  pray  ye.  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven 
.  .  .  Thy  kingdom  come."  And  here  he  adds, 
"As  you  go,  preach,  saying.  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand!"  The  praying  and  the  saying 
go  together;  the  profession  must  be  followed  by 
the  preaching  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Disencumbered.— He  said,  "Carry  no  purse,  no 
wallet,   no   shoes."      No  doubt  they  would  have 


312     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

deemed  it  wise  to  take  a  little  ready  cash,  some 
provisions  in  their  wallet  and  a  pair  of  extra  san- 
dals for  so  long  a  journey:  but  they  were  to  be  an 
army  without  a  commissariat.  They  were  to 
march  under  a  banner  bearing  this  device :  a  bunch 
of  lilies,  and  over  it  the  legend,  "Have  faith  in 
God." 

Are  we  to  follow  these  Instructions  to  the  letter 
in  these  days?  "The  letter  killeth,  but  the  Spirit 
giveth  life."  But  did  ever  a  man  go  forth  to  serv- 
ice, trusting  God  in  vain?  Is  not  history  full  of 
stories  of  those  who  going  out,  like  Paul,  Francis 
Xavier,  John  Eliot,  Henry  Martin  and  Adoniram 
Judson,  without  purse,  wallet  or  extra  sandals, 
have  returned  In  due  time  with  rejoicing,  bringing 
their  sheaves  with  them? 

In  one  of  Paul's  letters  to  Timothy  he  says: 
"No  soldier  on  service  entangleth  himself  with  the 
affairs  of  this  life."  Yet  how  many  of  the  serv- 
ants of  Christ  are  overburdened  with  secular  cares; 
all  tangled  up  In  their  purses,  and  their  wallets, 
and  their  extra  sandals.  We  cannot  afford  to  over- 
look the  fact  that  it  is  the  disencumbered  man  who 
fights  well,  runs  well,  reaps  well.  The  Mission 
of  the  Seventy  was  like  a  forced  march,  and  there 
must  be  nothing  to  hinder  It.  The  business  In 
hand  was  so  Important  that  they  were  enjoined  to 
"salute  no  man  by  the  way."  A  salutation  in  the 
Orient  to-day  is  a  matter  of  much  punctilio.  If 
two  Arabs  meet  In  the  desert,  one  hand  Is  extended, 
then  both  hands  are  lifted,  then  there  is  a  kissing 


A  Mobilized  Church  313 

of  beards;  and  on  occasion  all  this  repeated  ten 
times  over  with  voluble  expressions  of  more  or  less 
sincere  delight.  There  was  no  time  for  the  Sev- 
enty to  indulge  in  such  distractions  along  the  way. 
They  went  forth  as  the  King's  legates,  and  "the 
King's  business  requireth  haste." 

Fully  equipped. — The  Lord  bestowed  on  them 
those  singular  gifts  of  the  Spirit  which  were  known 
as  charismata;  by  which  they  were  enabled  to 
work  miracles  of  healing;  and  he  said,  "Behold,  I 
have  given  you  authority  to  tread  upon  serpents 
and  scorpions  and  over  all  the  power  of  the  enemy; 
and  nothing  shall  in  any  wise  hurt  you." 

Do  the  followers  of  Christ  have  such  pov/er  in 
these  days?  It  would  appear  that  these  extraordi- 
nary gifts  were  conferred  in  the  infancy  of  the 
Church  for  special  reasons.  If  they  still  continue, 
as  Is  claimed  in  some  quarters,  it  is  a  singular 
thing  that  the  whole  world  is  not  constrained  to 
acknowledge  it.  The  healings  wrought  by  Christ 
and  his  early  disciples  were  so  obvious  that  no- 
body disputed  them;  while  nowadays,  when  such 
miracles  are  claimed,  everybody  standing  by  simply 
lifts  his  eyebrows  and  smiles. 

Nevertheless  the  work  of  healing  in  Christ's 
name  still  goes  on.  The  skill  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession of  our  time  Is  due  to  the  advance  of  civil- 
ization and  humanity  which  received  Its  momen- 
tum In  the  life  and  gospel  of  Christ.  The  Church 
has  no  such  pressing  need  of  practising  medicine 


314     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

and  surgery  in  these  times  when  hospitals  and  free 
dispensaries  are  on  every  hand.  Nor  is  the  minis- 
try called  upon  to  practise  therapeutics,  when  the 
medical  profession,  a  sort  of  left  arm  of  the  service, 
is  following  so  closely  in  the  footsteps  of  that  Good 
Physician,  of  whom  it  is  recorded  that  when  the 
sick  were  brought  and  laid  on  couches  along  the 
way,  "he  healed  them  every  one."  I,  for  one, 
am  quite  willing  to  have  the  Doctors  of  Medicine 
attend  to  their  task  while  the  Doctors  of  Divinity 
address  themselves  to  theirs. 

Let  it  be  noted  that  when  the  Seventy  expressed 
their  joy  in  the  fact  that  they  were  able  to  cure 
diseases  and  cast  out  devils  in  his  name,  the  Master 
said:  "In  this  rejoice,  not  that  the  spirits  are  sub- 
ject unto  you,  but  rejoice  that  your  names  are  writ- 
ten in  heaven" ;  that  is,  in  the  roll-call  of  those  who 
were  appointed  to  deliver  the  message  of  the  King- 
dom. 

Comrades. — It  is  written:  "He  sent  them  forth 
two  and  two."  There  is  a  beautiful  significance 
in  this;  "as  iron  sharpeneth  iron,  so  a  man  sharp- 
eneth  the  countenance  of  his  friend." 

A  few  years  ago,  when  there  were  only  three 
men  in  our  Arabian  Mission  and  they  were  sta- 
tioned five  hundred  miles  apart,  a  pathetic  appeal 
came  to  us  to  send  more  laborers  into  the  harvest 
because  those  on  the  field  were  so  lonely!  Our 
Lord,  who  knew  humanity  through  and  through, 
recognized  this  need  of  companionship  when  he 


A  Mobilized  Church  315 

sent  the  Seventy  out  in  thirty-five  bands  of  two 
each. 

Paul,  in  prison,  writes  to  his  young  friend  Tim- 
othy to  come  with  all  possible  haste,  because  he 
greatly  longs  for  him.  Latimer,  bound  to  the 
stake,  speaks  to  Ridley  at  the  neighboring  stake, 
"Be  of  good  comfort.  Master  Ridley,  and  play  the 
man;  we  shall  this  day  light  such  a  candle  by  God's 
grace  in  England  as  I  trust  shall  never  be  put  out." 
Luther  in  the  Castle  at  Erfurt,  in  the  darkest  days 
of  the  Reformation,  calls  to  his  friend  Melanch- 
thon,  "Come,  Philip,  let  us  sing  the  46th  Psalm, 
'God  is  our  refuge  and  strength;  .  .  .  therefore 
will  not  we  fear  though  the  earth  do  change  and 
the  mountains  be  shaken  into  the  heart  of  the 
seas.'  "  So  has  the  Church  come  down  along  the 
centuries  in  bands  of  two  and  two. 

We  are  wont  to  sing,  "Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 
our  hearts  in  Christian  love,"  but  for  the  practi- 
cal uses  of  service  let  us  sing,  "Blest  be  the  tie  that 
binds  our  hearts  in  Christian  work."  Comrades 
all!  Two  by  two!  Amici  usque  ad  aras!  "Two 
are  better  than  one;  .  .  .  for  if  they  fall  the  one 
will  lift  up  his  fellow;  but  woe  to  him  that  is  alone 
when  he  falleth,  for  he  hath  not  another  to  lift 
him  up." 

Enheartened  with   great  promises. — Our  Lord 

did  not  disguise  the  fact  that  the  Seventy  were  go- 
ing in  the  face  of  opposition  and  persecution.  "Be- 
hold, I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of 


3i6     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

wolves."  Nero,  Diocletian,  Bloody  Mary;  he 
heard  them  aforetime;  the  voices  of  wolves  that 
were  to  raven  his  little  ones.  But  "Fear  not,  little 
flock,"  said  he;  "it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure 
to  give  you  the  kingdom !"  He  foresaw  the  flag- 
ging of  courage,  the  weariness  of  step,  the  dim- 
ming of  eye;  and  he  prepared  them  against  it. 

There  is  no  room  for  pessimists  in  the  ranks  of 
this  militant  host.  We  borrow  trouble  without 
reason.  We  fret  and  worry  because  we  forget  that 
Christ  founded  his  Church  upon  a  rock  and  the 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it.  We  see 
the  kings  of  the  earth  assembling  and  rulers  tak- 
ing counsel  against  our  Lord  and  his  Anointed, 
saying,  "Let  us  break  their  bonds  asunder  and 
cast  away  their  cords  from  us!"  and  our  knees 
tremble  because  we  have  not  heard  the  laughter 
out  of  heaven.  We  have  not  heard  the  reading 
of  the  riot-act:  "Kiss  the  son,  lest  he  be  angry 
and  ye  perish  in  the  way!" 

We  preach  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom.  Did 
Christ  not  say,  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like 
unto  leaven  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three 
measures  of  meal  till  it  was  all  leavened"  ?  Did  he 
not  say,  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a 
grain  ofm.ustard  seed,  which  a  man  took  and 
sowed  in  his  field;  which  indeed  is  less  than  all 
seeds,  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  greater  than  the 
herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the 
heavens  come  and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof"  ? 

They  were  but  seventy  that  went  forth  then; 


A  Mobilized  Church  317 

and  behold,  there  are  In  the  world  to-day  some 
hundreds  of  millions  of  people  who  profess  the 
service  of  Christ!  And  this  In  spite  of  axes  and 
faggot  fires,  In  spite  of  foes  without  and  traitors 
within.  We  preach  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom. 
Make  way  for  the  King!  He  who  opposes  does 
but  frantically  and  to  his  own  hurt  run  upon  the 
bosses  of  the  shield  of  God. 

^'Before  his  face." — This  Is  the  way  they  were 
sent.  On  other  occasions  he  preceded  them,  lead- 
ing the  way.  Here  they  are  not  followers  but  fore- 
runners. They  go  before  him  like  John  the  Bap- 
tist, crying,  "Repent  ye;  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  Is  at  hand  .  .  .  make  ye  ready  the  way 
of  the  Lord;  make  his  paths  straight." 

The  joy  of  our  message  Is  that  the  King  Is  com- 
ing just  after  us.  Maranatha!  The  Lord  com- 
eth;  and  blessed  are  all  they  that  love  his  appear- 
ing. Though  he  tarry,  yet  will  he  come.  The 
heavens  will  part  asunder;  and  the  tabernacle  of 
God  will  come  down  among  men;  and  he  shall 
dwell  with  them  and  they  shall  be  his  people  and 
God  himself  will  be  their  God. 

In  the  meantime  we  are  sustained  in  our  labor 
of  love  and  patience  of  hope  by  the  promise:  "Lo, 
I  am  with  you  always  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world." 

End  of  the  campaign.— On  the  return  of  the 
Seventy   they   reported,   with  burning  hearts   and 


3i8     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

flashing  eyes:  "Lord,  even  the  demons  are  subject 
unto  us  In  thy  name!"  They  had  never  dreamed 
of  such  success.  But  he  said,  "I  beheld  Satan 
fallen  as  lightning  from  heaven!"  His  far-seeing 
eyes,  In  that  Instant,  traversed  all  history  as  If  It 
passed  before  him  in  a  moving  picture.  He  saw 
the  end  from  the  beginning;  the  triumph  of  truth 
and  righteousness.  He  heard  the  clanking  of 
chains  as  the  red  dragon  was  cast  Into  the  pit. 
Thus  ends  the  campaign.  The  Lamb  triumphs 
over  the  wolves.  Armageddon  Is  fought  to  a 
finish;  and  the  army  of  which  the  Seventy  were  the 
vanguard  waves  banners  of  victory. 

*  *  God  works  in  all  things ;  all  obey 

His  first  propulsion  from  the  night. 
Wake  thou  and  watch ;  the  world  is  gray 
With  morning  light  1 ' ' 

So  reads  the  story  of  the  mobilized  Church.  "O 
Church  of  God,  go  forward!"  City  Missions, 
Home  Missions,  Foreign  Missions,  all  are  in  line 
with  the  Captain's  plan,  and  none  Is  In  vain.  Alas, 
for  the  man  who  stands  with  folded  hands  In  the 
marketplace !  "All  at  it,  always  at  it,  all  together 
at  it!" 


THE  CHURCH  AT  THE  CROSSROADS 


One  writer^s  view. — Many  paths. — The  way  of  salva- 
tion.— The  way  of  truth. — The  way  of  character. 
— The  way  of  burden-bearing. — The  way  of  serv- 
ice.— The  way  of  companionship. — The  way  of 
life. — Not  at  the  crossroads. 

One  writer's  view. — I  have  been  reading  a  book, 
translated  from  the  German,  entitled  ''Christian- 
ity at  the  Crossroads" ;  in  which  the  learned  writer 
lays  down  the  proposition  that  the  Church  has  no 
hope  of  perpetuity  except  in  adjusting  itself  to  pub- 
lic opinion  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Age.  The  world 
moves,  beyond  all  question,  and  progress  Is  a  fact. 
Wherefore,  they  say,  the  old  doctrines  must  be 
given  up,  and  the  old  canons  of  righteousness  must 
yield  to  more  modern  forms  of  ethics.  Ring  out 
the  old,  ring  In  the  new! 

As  I  sat  with  this  proposition  before  me  It  pre- 
sented itself  In  the  form  of  a  vision,  on  this  wise: 

Many  paths. — I  seemed  to  see  the  Church,  the 
Genius  of  Christianity,  standing  at  the  crossways 
with  a  look  of  deep  perplexity  In  her  eyes.  Of  the 
many  divergent  roads  leading  Into  the  future  she 
was  wondering  which  she  should  take.     One  of 

319 


320     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

these  was  called  "New  Thought,"  and  another  the 
"New  Theology,"  and  another  the  "New  Ethics," 
and  another  the  "New  Religion,"  and  another 
"New  Science,"  and  another  "New  Philosophy." 
Oh,  there  were  many,  many  ways,  and  all  of  them 
new !  But  there  was  an  Old  Way,  also,  which  had 
been  trodden  for  centuries  by  the  feet  of  a  great 
multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  of  which  it 
had  been  written  some  thousands  of  years  ago,  "A 
highway  shall  be  there,  and  a  way,  and  it  shall  be 
called  The  Way  of  Holiness;  the  unclean  shall  not 
pass  over  It;  but  it  shall  be  for  the  redeemed;  the 
wayfaring  men,  yea,  fools  shall  not  err  therein.  No 
lion  shall  be  there,  nor  shall  any  ravenous  beast  go 
up  thereon ;  they  shall  not  be  found  there ;  but  the 
redeemed  shall  walk  there;  and  the  ransomed  of 
Jehovah  shall  return,  and  come  with  singing  unto 
ZIon,  and  everlasting  joy  shall  be  upon  their  heads; 
they  shall  obtain  gladness  and  joy,  and  sorrow 
and  sighing  shall  flee  away." 

The  journey  of  the  Church  thus  far  through  the 
centuries  had  been  along  this  highway;  but  now 
she  stood  at  the  crossroads,  while  hands  were  beck- 
oning on  every  side  to  other  paths.  The  decision 
must  be  made:  which  way? 

And  I  heard  a  voice  behind  her,  saying,  "This 
Is  the  way,  walk  ye  In  It!"  I  could  not  see  the 
speaker;  but  I  knew  It  was  the  Bridegroom  who 
thus  addressed  his  bride;  It  was  he,  the  Christ  of 
whom  It  had  been  written,  "In  whom,  though  now 
ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing  ye  rejoice  greatly  with 


The  Church  at  the  Crossroads    321 

joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory !"  And  the  bride 
knew  that  the  Bridegroom  spoke  of  the  King's 
Highway;  but  she  seemed  lost  In  doubt  and  per- 
plexity. 

The  way  of  salvation.—The  voice  said,  "This 
is  the  way  of  salvation,  walk  ye  in  it!" 

And  I  saw  that  at  the  entrance  of  the  King's 
Highway,  where  there  should  have  been  a  sign- 
post, there  stood  a  cross;  and  on  it  was  the  suffer- 
ing Christ.  His  right  hand,  pierced  and  blood- 
stained, pointed  to  the  Highway.  And  the  High- 
way was  thronged  with  travelers  who,  as  they 
journeyed,  sang, 

"There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood 

Drawn  from  Immanuel's  veins; 
And  sinners,  plunged  beneath  that  flood, 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains." 

They  held  much  converse  with  one  another  as 
to  the  great  salvation,  saying,  "As  far  as  the  east 
is  from  the  west,  so  far  hath  he  removed  our  trans- 
gressions from  us";  and  their  song  was  full  of 
hope  and  loyalty  and  conquest; 

**  Dear  dying  Lamb,  thy  precious  blood 
Shall  never  lose  its  power 
Till  all  the  ransomed  Church  of  God 
Are  saved  to  sin  no  more ! ' ' 

As  they  continued  their  journey  they  rejoiced  more 
and  more  until  they  vanished  in  a  great  light,  from 


322     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

which  came  faint  echoes  of  singing,  like  the  sound 
of  distant  waters,  "Worthy  art  thou  ...  for 
thou  wast  slain,  and  didst  purchase  unto  God  with 
thy  blood  men  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation,  and  madest  them  to  be  unto 
God  a  Kingdom  and  priests." 

But  the  bride  at  the  crossways  seemed  still  to  be 
asking,  "Which  way?" 

The  way  of  truth. — Again  the  voice  behind  her 
said,  "This  is  the  way  of  truth;  walk  ye  in  it!" 

And  I  saw  that  those  who  journeyed  on  the 
other  roads  all  seemed  to  be  truth-seekers.  Each 
of  them  carried  a  lantern  and  a  book.  The  books 
were  called  "Science,"  "Philosophy,"  "The  Wis- 
dom of  the  Wise,"  etc.  By  the  dim  light  of  their 
lanterns  they  peered  to  the  right  and  left  and 
seemed  like  blind  people  groping  their  way  along 
the  wall,  some  saying,  "What  is  truth?"  and 
others,  "I  know  not." 

The  travelers  on  the  King's  Highway  also  car- 
ried books ;  but  they  all  had  the  same  Book,  called 
"The  Word  of  God."  On  its  cover  was  written 
"Authority"  and  "The  entrance  of  thy  Word 
giveth  Hght."  And  as  they  went  on  reading  there 
came  an  increasing  look  of  hope  and  satisfaction. 
I  heard  them  saying,  "I  know !"  and  "I  am  per- 
suaded," and  "I  reckon";  and  ever  and  anon  they 
said,  "I  believe  In  God  the  Father  Almighty, 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  In  Jesus  Christ  his 
only  Son  our  Lord.    I  believe  In  the  Holy  Ghost, 


The  Church  at  the  Crossroads    323 

the  holy  catholic  Church,  the  communion  of  saints, 
the  forgiveness  of  sins,  the  resurrection  of  the  body 
and  the  life  everlasting,  Amen."  And  while  they 
seemed  to  rejoice  more  and  more  In  the  things 
which  they  already  believed,  they  were  still  look- 
ing forward  to  clearer  knowledge  and  more  glo- 
rious truth;  for  they  kept  saying,  "Now  we  see  In 
a  mirror  darkly,  but  then  face  to  face!  Now  I 
know  In  part,  but  then  shall  I  know  fully  even  as 
also  I  was  fully  known!"  And  all  the  while  they 
gave  Increasing  attention  to  the  Book  and  showed 
a  deeper  joy  In  It.  Then  I  remembered  how  It  had 
been  written,  "The  path  of  the  righteous  Is  as  the 
dawning  light  that  shineth  more  and  more  unto 
the  perfect  day." 

And  still  the  Church,  standing  at  the  crossways, 
hesitated  to  choose  her  way. 

The  way  of  character.— And  the  voice  spoke 
again:  "This  Is  the  way  of  character;  walk  ye 
in  It!" 

I  saw,  then,  that  all  those  who  traveled  on  the 
King's  Highway  were  arrayed  In  linen  robes, 
which  had  been,  when  they  were  assumed,  "fine 
linen,  clean  and  white."  But  they  were  now  much 
soiled,  as  if  their  wearers  had  often  fallen  by  the 
way.  And  they  were  weeping,  praying,  striving 
and  all  the  while  growing  farther  from  sin. 
Among  those  who  wept  I  distinguished  Peter,  and 
heard  him  lamenting,  "I  denied  my  Lord!" 
Among  those  who  prayed  I   recognized  David; 


324     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

and  he  was  saying,  "Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  God, 
according  to  thy  lovlngklndness :  according  to  the 
multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies  blot  out  my  trans- 
gressions !  Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  in- 
iquity and  cleanse  me  from  my  sin ;  for  I  know  my 
transgressions  and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me!'' 
And  among  those  who  strove  most  earnestly 
against  sin  I  distinguished  Paul,  and  heard  him 
saying,  "I  count  not  myself  yet  to  have  laid  hold; 
but  one  thing  I  do :  forgetting  the  things  which  are 
behind,  and  stretching  forward  to  the  things  which 
are  before,  I  press  on  toward  the  goal  unto  the 
prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  In  Christ  Jesus!" 
All  alike  were  confessedly  sinners;  not  one  pro- 
fessing to  be  good,  only  trying  to  be.  And  the 
farther  they  journeyed  the  more  they  grew  in  grace 
and  Into  the  likeness  of  Christ.  The  stains  on  their 
soiled  robes  seemed  to  vanish  more  and  more; 
until  as  they  passed  into  the  great  light  the  last 
blemish  was  gone !  Their  sins,  which  had  been  as 
scarlet,  were  whiter  than  snow.  So  they  entered 
Into  the  presence  of  the  holy  God. 

But  the  bride  at  the  crossing  of  the  ways  still 
stood  Irresolute  and  undetermined  as  to  the  right 
way. 

The  way  of  burden-bearing.— Again  the  voice 
behind  her  spoke,  "This  Is  the  way  of  burden-bear- 
ing; walk  ye  in  it!" 

And  I  saw  that  all  who  traveled  by  the  diverse 
roads  were  burden-bearers,  since  burden-bearing  Is 


The  Church  at  the  Crossroads    325 

the  common  heritage  of  the  children  of  men.  And 
many  of  them  groaned,  saying,  "My  burden  Is 
greater  than  I  can  bear!" 

Those  who  journeyed  on  the  King's  Highway 
bore  burdens  also ;  and  furthermore  each  was  under 
a  yoke.  But  for  some  reason  their  burdens  seemed 
easy  and  their  yokes  light.  At  the  outset  they 
spoke  of  "duty"  and  "obligation";  but  as  they  pro- 
ceeded they  had  more  to  say  of  the  joy  of  service 
and  the  delight  of  doing  their  Master's  will.  I 
could  see  In  the  distance  some  who  seemed  as  light- 
footed  as  Asahel;  and  more  and  more  they  quick- 
ened their  steps,  saying,  "I  rejoice  to  do  thy  will!" 
Their  toil  now  seemed  pleasure;  and  as  they  ap- 
proached the  great  light  they  began  to  run;  as  it 
is  written:  "I  will  run  the  way  of  thy  command- 
ments when  thou  shalt  enlarge  my  heart."  And 
so,  running,  they  passed  out  of  view. 

But  the  bride  still  wore  a  look  of  deep  perplex- 
ity.   Would  nothing  convince  her? 

The  way  of  service. —  Again  the  voice  behind 
her  spoke,  "This  is  the  way  of  service;  walk  ye 
in  it!" 

And  I  perceived  that  those  who  journeyed  on 
the  other  roads  were  much  absorbed  in  selfish  pur- 
suits, saying,  "What  shall  we  eat?"  and  "What 
shall  we  drink?"  and  "Wherewithal  shall  we  be 
clothed?"  There  were  some  with  muck-rakes, 
heaping  up  yellow  dust;  and  many  pleasure-seek- 
ers,   whose    laughter   was    like    the    crackling    of 


326     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

thorns;  and  others  who  were  chasing  after  van- 
ishing honors.  Not  all  were  unmindful  of  the 
needs  of  others ;  but  they  were  chiefly  concerned  for 
their  physical  pains  and  ailments.  All  were  alike 
in  being  shut  up  within  the  narrow  horizons  of 
the  life  here  and  now. 

The  travelers  on  the  King's  Highway,  at  the 
beginning  of  their  journey,  seemed  also  to  be 
much  concerned  about  themselves,  their  own  sal- 
vation and  their  own  sanctification.  Their  favor- 
ite hymn  was, 

'  *  When  I  can  read  my  title  clear 
To  mansions  in  the  skies, 
I'll  bid  farewell  to  every  fear 
And  wipe  my  weeping  eyes.'* 

But  as  they  pursued  their  journey  they  grew  more 
and  more  self- forgetful  and  mindful  of  others. 
They  were  lending  a  hand  to  help  the  fallen.  They 
were  putting  cups  of  cold  water  to  thirsty  lips. 
They  were  trying  to  do  good  as  they  had  oppor- 
tunity unto  all.  And  while  ministering  to  physical 
needs  they  were  not  oblivious  of  the  life  beyond; 
but  kept  ever  pointing  toward  the  light.  And 
whenever  one  of  them  did  a  good  deed,  it  was  *'in 
the  name  of  the  King."  It  seemed  to  be  their 
growing  desire  to  do  everything  for  Him;  until  at 
length,  toward  the  journey's  end,  all  other  consid- 
erations yielded  to  a  consuming  desire  to  glorify 
God.  And  when  they  had  passed  on,  their  useful- 
ness remained.     They  were  spoken  of  as  dead; 


The  Church  at  the  Crossroads    327 

but  I  heard  them  still  speaking.  Their  usefulness 
was  perpetuated  in  their  memory :  as  their  Master 
had  said,  "He  that  liveth  and  belleveth  on  me  shall 
never  die." 

The  voice  of  the  Bridegroom  should  by  this 
time  surely  have  persuaded  the  bride :  but  she  could 
not  lose  sight  of  the  beckoning  hands  or  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  alluring  voices  that  called  her  to 
the  other  ways. 

The  way  of  companionship. — The  voice  of  the 
Bridegroom  spoke  again,  "This  is  the  way  of  di- 
vine companionship;  walk  ye  in  It!" 

Then  I  saw  that  all  who  were  journeying  by  the 
divergent  roads  were  alone;  each  planning  for  him- 
self, doing  for  himself,  living  for  himself. 

But  on  the  King's  Highway  each  had  a  Friend 
beside  him,  a  guide  and  helper  and  counselor,  who 
kept  saying,  "Be  of  good  courage;  lo!  I  am  with 
you  always,  even  unto  the  end."  (Ah,  "two  are 
better  than  one;  .  .  .  for  if  they  fall,  the  one  will 
lift  up  his  fellow;  but  woe  to  him  that  Is  alone 
when  he  falleth!")  Was  any  weak?  He  bound  a 
girdle  about  his  loins.  Was  any  tempted?  He 
drew  a  sword  to  defend  him.  Did  any  weep?  He 
wiped  away  his  tears.  In  the  distance  I  saw  the 
Highway  sink  into  a  deep  valley,  over  which  hung 
a  gloomy  shadow;  and  as  the  travelers  passed 
Into  that  dark  depression  I  heard  them  say,  "Yea, 
though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death  I  will  fear  no  evil;  for  thou  art  with  me; 


328     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

thy  rod  and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me!"  And 
when  they  reappeared  they  were  still  journeying 
two  and  two,  each  with  his  Friend.  So  they  van- 
ished Into  the  light. 

I  saw  the  bride  now  grasping  her  staff  and  look- 
ing with  desire  toward  the  King's  Highway,  as  If 
she  were  almost  persuaded. 

The  way  of  life. — And  the  voice  spoke  again, 
"This  is  the  way  of  life  and  immortality;  walk  ye 
In  It!" 

And  I  saw  that  those  who  journeyed  by  the  other 
roads  seemed  not  to  know  whither  they  were  go- 
ing. It  might  be  that  there  was  a  life  beyond; 
but  there  was  no  certainty.  The  one  thing  of 
which  they  were  assured  was  that  for  a  while  they 
were  living  In  this  world  and  they  had  better  make 
the  best  of  It.    For  perhaps  death  might  end  all ! 

But  on  the  King's  road  all  saw  the  great  light  In 
the  distance,  a  light  brilliant  and  dazzling  above 
the  brightness  of  the  sun.  And  they  were  saying, 
^'Here  we  have  no  abiding  city:  we  are  pilgrims 
and  sojourners,  looking  for  a  better  country,  even 
an  heavenly,  and  for  a  city  which  hath  founda- 
tions, whose  builder  and  maker  Is  God."  So,  staff 
In  hand,  they  trudged  on  with  their  eyes  aloft. 
They  were  not  unmindful  of  their  obligation  to 
make  this  world  through  which  they  were  pass- 
ing a  better  place  to  live  In :  but  their  watchword 
was  "The  Kingdom !"  They  believed  that  by  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  the  Golden  Age  would  ulti- 


The  Church  at  the  Crossroads    329 

mately  be  ushered  Into  this  world,  that  the  Taber- 
nacle of  God  would  come  down  among  men,  and 
he  would  dwell  with  them,  and  they  would  be  his 
people  and  he  would  be  their  God.  But  they  be- 
lieved also  In  the  Kingdom  farther  on;  where  the 
thrones  are  set  and  the  King  reigns  In  light  and 
glory  unapproachable;  and  toward  that  glory  they 
directed  their  steps  with  ever-Increasing  hope.  As 
they  neared  the  light  at  the  journey's  end  It  was 
changed  Into  the  splendor  of  a  glorious  sunset. 
Great  gates  seemed  to  open  wide ;  and  a  new  song, 
faint  but  wonderful,  came  from  the  distance,  "Al- 
lelulah !  For  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  relgneth !" 
And  Into  the  light  and  glory  and  music  they 
passed.  Then  I  remembered  what  John  Bunyan 
said  when  he  saw  the  same  vision  of  pilgrims  enter- 
ing the  gates,  "I  wished  myself  among  them  1" 

Not  at  the  crossroads. — I  awoke  from  my  vis- 
Ion,  and  the  thesis  lay  on  my  knees,  ^'Christianity 
at  the  Crossroads."  Ah,  no,  said  I;  Christianity 
is  not  at  the  crossroads !  It  is  not  Christianity,  but 
a  semblance  of  it,  that  stands  perplexed  and  ques- 
tioning there.  The  bride  Is  loyal  to  the  Bride- 
groom. She  has  journeyed  thus  far  through  the 
ages  along 

*'  The  way  the  holy  prophets  went, 
The  road  that  leads  from  banishment. 
The  King's  Highway  of  holiness.' 

The  Genius  of  Christianity  Is  still  true  to  the  gos- 


330     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

pel  of  Christ.  On  the  King's  Highway  there  are 
more  travelers  than  ever,  more  Christians  who 
sing,  "All  hall  the  power  of  Jesus'  name,"  more 
Bible-lovers,  more  believers,  more  servants  of  the 
King!  The  number  of  the  avowed  followers  of 
Christ  throughout  the  world  has  more  than 
doubled  In  the  last  century;  would  It  have  been  so 
had  the  Church,  allured  by  the  clamor  of  public 
opinion,  chosen  one  of  the  other  ways? 


THE    CHURCH    TRIUMPHANT 


Days  of  visions. — A  great  multitude. — From  every  na- 
tion.— Saved  by  grace. — Saved  by  faith. — The  first- 
born.— Rest  in  service. — A  place  of  happiness. — In 
the  book  of  life. 

The  early  Church  was  like  a  flock  of  sheep  hud- 
dled together  on  a  bleak  hillside  with  baying 
wolves  on  every  side.  The  times  were  full  of  peril 
and  foreboding,  and  Christ's  followers  faced  death 
on  every  hand.  They  needed  encouragement,  and 
the  writer  of  Hebrews  exhorted  them  to  be  brave 
and  strong,  for  "ye  are  come  unto  Mount  ZIon,  and 
unto  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jeru- 
salem, and  to  Innumerable  hosts  of  angels,  to  the 
general  assembly  and  church  of  the  firstborn  who 
are  enrolled  in  heaven." 

Days  of  visions. — The  Christians  of  those  times 
made  much  of  the  life  beyond.  They  had  con- 
stant need  to  strengthen  their  faith  by  dreaming 
dreams  and  seeing  visions.^     To  those  who  were 

*  The  hearts  of  Columbus  and  his  weary  voyagers  were  cheered  in 
like  manner  by  their  first  sight  of  San  Salvador.  He  wrote  in  his 
log-book,  "It  is  the  most  beautiful  island  that  eyes  ever  beheld. 
There  came  a  fragrance  so  good  and  soft  of  the  flowers  and  trees 
that  it  was  the  sweetest  thing  in  the  world.  The  singing  of  the 
birds  was  such  that  it  seemed  as  if  one  would  never  desire  to  depart 
hence." 

331 


332     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

scattered  abroad  by  axe  and  fagot,  wandering  In 
deserts  and  In  mountains,  being  destitute,  afflicted, 
tormented,  how  grateful  was  the  anticipation  of 
that  final  muster  of  God's  veterans !  Jesus  himself 
had  said,  "Rejoice  that  your  names  are  written  in 
heaven."  Paul  had  spoken  hopefully  of  his  "fel- 
low-workers whose  names  are  In  the  book  of  life." 
Peter  had  exhorted  them  to  be  patient  amid  their 
fiery  trials  In  view  of  the  coming  glory  whereat 
they  were  to  be  made  "glad  with  exceeding  joy." 

Those  were  the  days  of  apocalyptic  visions. 
Listen  to  this:  "I,  John,  your  brother  and 
partaker  with  you  In  tribulation  .  .  .  was  In  the 
Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day :  .  .  .  and  I  saw,  and  be- 
hold, a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  num- 
ber, out  of  every  nation  and  of  all  tribes  and 
peoples  and  tongues,  standing  before  the  throne 
and  before  the  Lamb,  arrayed  in  white  robes,  with 
palms  In  their  hands:  and  they  cry  with  a  great 
voice,  saying.  Salvation,  unto  our  God  who  sitteth 
on  the  throne  and  unto  the  Lamb !  And  all  the 
angels  .  .  .  fell  before  the  throne  on  their  faces, 
and  worshiped  God,  saying,  Amen.  Blessing, 
and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and 
honor,  and  power,  and  might  be  unto  our  God 
forever  and  ever.  Amen.  And  one  of  the  elders 
answered,  saying  unto  me.  These  that  are  arrayed 
In  the  white  robes,  who  are  they  and  whence  came 
they?  And  I  say  unto  him.  My  lord,  thou  know- 
est.  And  he  said  to  me,  These  are  they  that  come 
out   of   the   great    tribulation,    and   they    washed 


The  Church  Triumphant         333- 

their  robes,  and  made  them  white  In  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb.  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne 
of  God;  and  they  serve  him  day  and  night  In  his 
temple;  and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall 
spread  his  tabernacle  over  them.  They  shall  hun- 
ger no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more,  neither  shall 
the  sun  strike  upon  them  nor  any  heat;  for  the 
Lamb  that  Is  In  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  be 
their  shepherd  and  shall  guide  them  unto  fountains 
of  waters  of  life;  and  God  shall  wipe  away  every 
tear  from  their  eyes."     Revelation  7:9-17. 

"  Who  are  these  in  bright  array, 
This  innumerable  throng, 
'Round  the  altar  night  and  day 
Hymning  one  triumphant  song  ?  " 

A  great  multitude. — Observe  the  Innumerable- 
ness  of  this  general  assembly.  Here  are  myriads 
on  myriads;  not  a  remnant,  but  a  mighty  host; 
"ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  and  thousands  of 
thousands":  as  the  sands  of  the  seashore;  as  the 
stars  of  heaven;  a  number  so  Immeasurably  vast 
that,  when  they  sing,  the  chorus  Is  like  the  rolling 
of  a  boundless  sea. 

A  young  man  once  asked  of  Jesus,  "Are  they 
few  that  are  saved?"  He  declined  to  answer,  but 
said,  "Strive  to  enter  In  by  the  narrow  door:  for 
many,  I  say  unto  you,  shall  seek  to  enter  In  and 
shall  not  be  able."  Though  he  did  not  answer  the 
question  at  that  time.  Inasmuch  as  It  was  not  ger- 
mane to  the  matter  In  hand,  he  and  his  apostles 


334     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

also,  on  other  occasions,  gave  us  clearly  to  under- 
stand that  the  vast  majority  are  with  God. 

From  every  nation. — This  multitude  is  made  up 
of  all  nations  and  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men. 
It  Is  a  Pentecostal  gathering  of  "Parthians  and 
Medes  and  Elamites  and  the  dwellers  in  Mesopo- 
tamia .  .  .  Jews  and  proselytes,  Cretans  and 
Arabians,"  bond  and  free. 

And  all  are  "assembled  with  one  consent." 
There  is  no  "color  line"  in  the  heavenly  city. 
Philip  the  evangelist  walks  arm  in  arm  with  the 
dusky  chancellor  of  Queen  Candace.  There  are 
no  social  distinctions  there :  rich  and  poor  meet  to- 
gether and  acknowledge  the  Lord  as  Maker  of 
them  all.  There  are  no  denominational  walls  of 
separation  there:  Wesley  the  Methodist,  who 
wrote  "Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul,"  and  Toplady  the 
Calvinist,  who  wrote,  "Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for 
me,"  join  their  voices  In  one  harmonious  song. 
The  boundaries  of  nations  are  blotted  out.  Na- 
poleon's dream  of  universal  empire,  which  he 
never  realized,  Is  realized  there.  The  Christ  of 
Calvary  occupies  the  throne,  still  bearing  the  scars 
of  his  atoning  work,  and  hath  upon  his  vesture  and 
thigh  a  name  written,  "King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of 
Lords";  while  the  adoring  multitude  lifts  the  na- 
tional anthem: 

**  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name! 
Let  angels  prostrate  fall; 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem 
And  crown  him  Lord  of  all  !  '* 


The  Church  Triumphant  335 

Saved  by  grace.— All  in  this  general  assembly 
are  sinners  saved  by  grace.  There  are  angels  in 
heaven  and  archangels  who  never  lost  their  high 
estate;  but  the  names  of  those  celestial  beings  are 
not  In  this  roster.  Here  are  only  graduates  of  the 
University  of  Repentance,  whose  diplomas  are 
sealed  with  the  red  symbol  of  the  Cross.  Some 
are  sinners  rescued  from  the  vulgar  vices  of  the 
slums;  others  are  sinners  rescued  from  the  respect- 
able worldliness  of  the  avenues;  but  ''there  Is  no 
difference,"  since  all  alike  confess  that  they  sinned 
and  came  short  of  the  glory  of  God.  Are  there 
any  drabs  and  drunkards  there?  Yes.  Are  there 
selfish  worldlings  and  avaricious  millionaires? 
Yes.     All  were  sinners;  and  all  have  come  hither. 

All  sinners,  did  I  say?  Nay,  there  Is  not  a 
sinner  among  them!  All  are  saints,  arrayed  In 
fine  linen,  clean  and  white.  Their  sins  are  gone! 
Though  they  were  as  scarlet,  they  are  white  as 
snow !  They  have  been  washed  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.     Such  is  the  wonderful  alchemy  of  grace. 

The  song  of  the  angels  Is  "Holy,  holy,  holy, 
Lord  God  Almighty!"  but  the  song  of  the  re- 
deemed Is  "Worthy  art  thou,  ...  for  thou  wast 
slain,  and  didst  purchase  unto  God  with  thy  blood 
men  of  every  tribe  and  tongue  and  people  and  na- 
tion, and  madest  them  to  be  unto  our  God  a  king- 
dom and  priests." 

Are  there  any  moralists  there  ?  Not  one !  Not 
one  who  came  hither  by  personal  desert,  but  only 
such  as  have  claimed  by  faith  the  unmerited  grace 
of  God. 


336     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

Saved  by  faith. — This  general  assembly  is  made 
up  of  "solifidians'';  an  old  word,  signifying  "only 
by  faith."  In  other  words,  they  are  all  saved  by 
believing  in  Christ. 

So  then  their  salvation  depended  on  some  doing 
of  their  own?  Surely.  But  what  about  election? 
If  the  names  of  the  redeemed  were  written  in  this 
book  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  how 
could  they  have  been  saved  by  the  exercise  of  their 
free  will? 

It  does  not  devolve  upon  me  to  reconcile  the 
divine  sovereignty  with  the  freedom  of  the  human 
will.  The  facts  in  the  case  are  sufficiently  clear. 
On  the  one  hand,  if  there  is  a  God  anywhere  in 
the  universe  he  must  know  and  foreknow  all 
things:  and  it  is  unthinkable  that  anything  should 
come  to  pass  except  as  he  foreknew  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  my  personal  consciousness  leaves  no 
room  for  any  possible  doubt  as  to  the  freedom  of 
my  will.  Suppose  I  say,  "I  will  lift  my  hand." 
It  is  clear  that  what  I  am  about  to  do  was  divinely 
foreknown  and  therefore  certain  to  come  to  pass. 
What  shall  I  say  then?  That  I  am  not  free  to 
either  lift  my  hand  or  refrain  from  lifting  it? 
That  is  preposterous.  I  know  that  I  can  do  as  I 
please;  and  I  know  equally  well  that  whatever  I 
decide  to  do  was  foreknown  and  foreordained  of 
God.  Why  should  I  be  required  or  expected  to 
reconcile  these  facts?  I  am  persuaded  that  there 
is  an  omniscient  God;  and  I  am  equally  sure  that 
I  have  a  sovereign  will.    I  am  under  no  more  ob- 


The  Church  Triumphant  337 

ligation  to  reconcile  these  two  than  I  am  to  explain 
ten  thousand  mysteries  all  about  me. 

The  Important  fact  Is  this:  If  I  am  ever  saved, 
It  will  be  by  the  exercise  of  personal  faith ;  yet  will 
I  join  with  the  Innumerable  company  of  the  re- 
deemed In  ascribing  all  the  glory  to  God.  "Where 
then  Is  the  glorying?  It  Is  excluded.  By  what 
manner  of  law?  of  works?  Nay;  but  by  a  law  of 
faith."  For  God  *'saved  us  and  called  us  with 
a  holy  calling,  not  according  to  our  works,  but  ac- 
cording to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which  was 
given  us  In  Christ  Jesus  before  times  eternal,"  In 
whom  he  ''made  us  alive  together  with  Christ  .  .  . 
and  raised  us  up  with  him,  and  made  us  sit  with 
him  In  the  heavenly  places.  In  Christ  Jesus ;  that  In 
the  ages  to  come  he  might  show  the  exceeding 
riches  of  his  grace  In  kindness  toward  us." 

The  firstborn. — All  In  this  general  assembly  are 
"firstborn."  This  Is  singular.  In  any  earthly 
household  there  Is  one  firstborn  and  only  one;  and 
all  the  rights  of  primogeniture  belong  to  him.  In 
God's  household,  however,  the  rights  of  primo- 
geniture belong  alike  to  all.  This  is  by  virtue  of 
the  fact  that  the  redeemed  are  in  vital  relations 
with  God's  only-begotten  Son.  They  are  received 
Into  the  family  by  adoption ;  but  he  Is  there  by  the 
right  of  eternal  generation,  as  "the  firstborn  among 
many  brethren."  It  Is  through  him  that  all  the 
redeemed  are  Invested  with  the  best  robe  and  the 
signet  ring:  as  It  Is  written,  "The  Spirit  himself 


338     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

beareth  witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  children 
of  God:  and  If  children  then  heirs,  heirs  of  God 
and  joint  heirs  with  Christ;  if  so  be  that  we  suf- 
fer with  him  that  we  may  be  also  glorified  with 
him/' 

Rest  in  service. — All  are  In  "holy  orders"  there. 
There  Is  no  distinctive  call  to  the  ministry:  as  It 
is  written,  "Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits, 
sent  forth  to  do  service  for  the  sake  of  them  that 
shall  Inherit  salvation?" 

It  Is  a  mistake  to  think  of  heaven  as  a  place  of 
Indolent  rest;  and  no  less  a  mistake  to  think  of  It 
as  a  place  of  selfish  enjoyment.  The  redeemed 
have  been  redeemed  for  a  purpose :  as  it  is  written, 
"His  servants  shall  serve  him." 

*'  Service  there  is  rest, 
Rest,  service;   for  the  Paradise  of  saints, 
Like  Eden  with  its  toilless  husbandry, 
Has  many  plants  to  tend  and  flowers  to  twine, 
And  fruit-trees  in  the  Garden  of  the  Soul, 
That  ask  the  culture  of  celestial  skill." 

Every  one  In  that  assembly  Is  a  minister  with  a 
parish.  Is  there  room  enough  In  God's  universe 
to  furnish  parishes  for  all?  Go  out  on  a  starry 
night  and  look  at  the  myriads  of  God's  worlds 
floating  In  Infinite  space:  then  look  on,  through 
the  Interstellar  spaces,  and  see  in  the  far  distance 
a  cloud  of  floating  star-dust!  Oh,  there  are 
worlds  enough  to  furnish  parishes  for  all!     And 


The  Church  Triumphant  339 

the  joy  of  heaven  will  be  most  largely  In  the  fact 
that  all  are  busily  engaged  In  congenial  tasks,  run- 
ning in  the  way  of  their  Lord's  commandments 
and  rejoicing  to  do  his  holy  will. 

A  place  of  happiness. — Heaven  Is  home.  Heaven 
Is  a  marriage  feast.  Heaven  Is  an  Ingathering  with 
a  vintage  song. 

"  Jerusalem  the  golden, 

With  milk  and  honey  blessed, 
Beneath  thy  contemplation 

Sink  heart  and  voice  oppressed. 
I  know  not,  oh,  I  know  not, 

What  joys  await  us  there; 
What  radiancy  of  glory, 

What  bliss  beyond  compare  !  " 

It  is  an  unending  happiness:  for  the  members 
of  that  general  assembly  are  there  to  stay.  It  Is 
recorded  that  certain  of  the  angels  have  lost  their 
first  estate.  "How  hast  thou  fallen,  Lucifer,  son 
of  the  morning !"  But  never,  through  all  the  ages, 
has  one  of  the  redeemed  fallen  from  the  omnipo- 
tent hand  of  the  gracious  Son  of  God.  Where- 
fore it  is  written,  "They  shall  go  out  no  more  for- 
ever." 

I  have  a  friend  whose  home  has  been  sadly 
broken  up.  He  has  said  farewell  to  wife  and  seven 
children,  one  by  one,  and  is  left  a  lonely,  grief- 
stricken  man.  He  lives,  however,  In  the  inspiring 
hope  of  the  reunion  In  the  Father's  house.     Oh, 


340     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

that  blessed  day  of  "knitting  severed  friendships 
up'' !  There  Is  no  crepe  on  the  door  of  the 
Father's  house.  No  hearse  with  sable  plumes 
rumbles  through  the  streets  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 

**  No  partings  yonder! 

Time  and  space  never 
Again  shall  sunder; 

Hearts  cannot  sever; 
Dearer  and  fonder, 

Hands  clasped  forever  !  " 

In  the  book  of  life. — The  members  of  that  gen- 
eral assembly  are  all  recorded  in  the  Lamb's  book 
of  life.  Call  it  narrow  or  bigoted  If  you  choose; 
it  is  clearly  the  teaching  of  Christ  that  only  those 
shall  enter  heaven  who  believe  In  him.  There  are 
twelve  gates,  and  they  are  always  open  with  a  clear 
welcome  for  all,  but  over  every  gate  is  written, 
*'There  shall  in  no  wise  enter  .  .  .  anything  un- 
clean, or  he  that  maketh  an  abomination  and  a  lie, 
but  only  they  that  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book 
of  life." 

Is  my  name  written  there?  Is  yours?  How 
shall  we  find  out?  Each  must  ask  himself;  for 
"the  Spirit  himself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit 
that  we  are  children  of  God."  Each  for  himself 
must  say  whether  he  has  accepted  Christ  as  his 
Saviour  and  whether,  In  all  sincerity  and  with  a 
spirit  of  entire  consecration,  he  is  trying  to  follow 
him. 


FORWARD    TO    CHRIST! 


Truth. — Character. — Government. 

It  Is  recorded  that  when  the  disciples  journeyed 
Jesus  was  accustomed  to  "go  before  them."  Mark 
23:  10. 

In  the  forward  movement  of  the  centuries 
he  is  always  in  the  forefront.  He  "goeth  on 
before,"  leading  all  great  enterprises  In  the 
march  toward  the  Golden  Age.  The  cry  "Back 
to  Christ!"  Is  a  specious  but  fallacious  one.  True, 
he  Is  the  unchangeable  One,  "the  same  yesterday 
and  to-day  and  forever";  but  his  sameness  Is  not 
like  that  of  the  impassive  Sphinx  under  whose 
sightless  eyes  the  thirsty  caravans  of  the  centuries 
pass  by.  His  immutability  Is  not  immobility.  It 
is  like  that  of  the  sun  which  from  the  winter  to 
the  summer  solstice  adjusts  Itself  to  the  advancing 
seasons,  changing  as  the  world  moves  on  toward 
seed-time  and  harvest.  Our  cry,  therefore.  Is  not 
"Back  to  Christ !"  but  "Forward  to  Christ !"  For 
he  marches  In  the  van  of  progress  toward  the  res- 
toration of  all  things.  His  campaign  is  the  philos- 
ophy of  history;  the  prophecy  of  his  coming  Is  the 
key  to  the  logic  of  events;  for  he  is  destined  to 
reign  "where'er  the  sun  does  his  successive  jour- 
neys run." 

There  are  three  things  that  make  mightily  for 
341 


342     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

progress,    truth,    personal    character   and   govern- 
ment: and  in  all  of  these  Christ  leads  the  way. 

Truth. — All  truth  has  value  in  his  eyes.  In 
Christ's  advancement  through  the  centuries  the 
schoolmaster  has  v/alked  beside  him;  and  wher- 
ever his  name  is  revered  there  schools  and  uni- 
versities have  sprung  up. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  province  of  spiritual  truth 
that  he  most  manifestly  leads  the  way.  He  came 
into  this  world  to  answer  the  question  which 
throbs  most  passionately  at  the  heart  of  every  man : 
"What  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life?" 
And  his  answer  is  the  Bible,  uplifted  in  his  right 
hand.  As  the  Incarnate  Word  he  bears  congenial 
witness  to  the  integrity  of  the  written  Word  of 
God.  And  with  it  he  brings  the  warrant  of  inde- 
pendent thought.  He  would  have  all  "search  the 
Scriptures,"  with  open  mind  and  heart.  Search 
for  yourself  and  interpret  for  yourself.  Do  your 
own  thinking!  Let  no  priest.  Presbytery  or  Con- 
venticle do  your  thinking  for  you.  Be  a  "free 
thinker" ;  not  like  the  freebooter  who  sets  sail  with- 
out chart  or  comipass  upon  an  open  sea,  but  within 
prescribed  rules  and  along  pathways  miarked  out 
by  the  Admiralty.  Sail  free;  but  sail  by  divine 
chart  and  compass  into  the  light  of  God! 

It  is  obvious  that  we  shall  not  find  this  patron 
of  truth  by  retracing  our  steps  through  centuries 
gone  by.  The  Christ  of  to-day  is  the  same,  yet  not 
the  same,  who  lived  as  a  peasant  in  a  remote  cor- 


Forward  to  Christ!  343 

ner  of  the  Oriental  world  and  made  itineraries  up 
and  down  among  Its  villages.  Eyes  front,  If  you 
would  find  him!  For  to-day  he  is  the  Scholar  of 
all  scholars  and  the  Teacher  of  all  teachers,  the 
Friend  of  all  truth-seekers,  the  Scientist  of  all  sci- 
entists and  the  Philosopher  of  all  philosophers,  the 
wisest  of  sages  and  the  simplest  of  kindergart- 
ners.  Master  of  arts,  Revealer  of  mysteries.  Light 
of  the  world.  He  who  would  keep  abreast  of  the 
spirit  of  the  age  must  follow  In  his  steps. 

Character. — The  basis  of  character  is  a  due  re- 
gard for  the  sanctity  of  law;  and  for  this  Christ 
stood  and  ever  stands.  The  Moral  Law,  as  pro- 
mulgated from  Sinai,  finds  its  best  exposition  in 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Its  best  compendium  in 
the  words  of  Jesus,  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself,"  and  its  best  practical  expression  In  the 
Beatitudes,  in  which  Christ  outlines  the  qualifica- 
tions of  citizenship  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

But  he  was  more  than  a  teacher  of  the  Law;  he 
was  its  best  living  exemplar.  And  next  to  him  Its 
best  exemplar  is  the  man  who  most  closely  follows 
him.  The  Church  Is  the  candlestick  from  which 
his  light  is  diffused  throughout  the  world :  as  John 
the  Evangelist  says,  "I  saw  In  the  midst  of  the 
candlesticks  one  like  unto  a  Son  of  Man."  The 
law  of  the  gospel  Is  set  forth  in  the  word  "shine"; 
that  is,  reflect  the  character  of  Jesus  as  the  Light  of 
the  World.     "So  let  your  light  shine  before  m.en 


344     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and  glorify 
your  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  It  may  be  said 
without  a  peradventure  that  the  average  Christian 
is  far  and  away  the  best  average  type  of  morahty 
in  the  world  to-day ;  but  it  must  be  added  that  more 
is  expected  of  the  Christian  now  than  ever  before. 
For  the  world  knows  more  of  Christ  and  knows 
better  what  a  Christian  ought  to  be. 

If  we  were  to  go  back  to  find  Christ  as  the  ex- 
emplar of  character  we  should  hear  his  judge  say- 
ing, "I  find  no  fault  in  him."  But  that  would  not 
be  the  Christ  of  to-day.  In  the  light  of  the  ad- 
vancing centuries  the  world  sees  him  not  only  as 
one  faultless  on  the  negative  side,  but  so  positively 
upright  as  the  exemplar  of  all  righteousness  that, 
going  on  before,  he  sets  the  pattern  for  the  world 
In  the  building  of  the  character  that  brings  man- 
hood Into  Its  closest  alliance  with  God. 

**The  best  of  men  that  e'er  wore  flesh  about  him 
Was  a  sufferer,  a  calm,  meek,  patient,  loving  spirit; 
The  first  true  gentle-man  that  ever  breathed!" 

Thus  going  on  before  he  leads  the  way  for  all 
who  would  make  the  most  of  themselves  and  lend 
a  hand  to  the  ascent  of  man. 

Government. — The  greatest  of  all  political  mani- 
festoes is  that  of  Jesus  when,  looking  on  the  tribute 
penny,  he  said,  "Render  unto  Caesar  the  things 
that  are  Csesar's  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are 
God's."     It  was  this  penny  tax  that  enabled  Caesar 


Forward  to  Christ!  345 

to  build  the  elaborate  system  of  roads  which  con- 
nected his  capital  with  the  remote  provinces.  Lit- 
tle did  he  dream  that  those  roads  were  ultimately 
to  be  highways  for  the  propagation  of  the  gospel. 

One  of  the  current  problems  of  our  time  has  to 
do  with  the  building  of  railways  In  Manchuria, 
the  motive  being  an  "open  door"  for  International 
commerce ;  but  when  they  are  built  the  missionaries 
of  the  Cross  will  pass  over  them  Into  an  open  door 
of  evangelization.  Rome  for  Caesar?  Manchu- 
ria for  Commerce?  Nay,  all  and  everything  for 
Christ !  It  Is  thus  that  In  the  fullness  of  time  the 
dream  of  Utopia  is  to  be  realized  in  this  world  of 
ours. 

Let  it  ever  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  ultimate 
purpose  of  the  coming  of  Christ  was  to  resolve  the 
chaos  of  our  sinful  world  into  law  and  order,  and 
to  establish  a  kingdom  of  truth  and  righteousness 
among  men.  In  that  kingdom  the  world  is  to  have 
its  final  Commonwealth,  of  which  the  fundamental 
principle  will  be  the  brotherhood  of  man  as  a  corol- 
lary of  the  Fatherhood  of  God. 

In  that  day  Paul  will  preach  again  his  great 
sermon  of  Mars'  Hill,  God  hath  "made  of  one 
every  nation  of  men  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the 
earth."  In  that  day  the  Barons  who  met  at  Run- 
nymede  will  meet  again  and  find  no  reluctant  John 
Lackland  to  deny  the  principles  of  Magna  Charta. 
In  that  day  our  forefathers  of  Independence  Hall 
will  rejoice  to  hear  a  universal  acclamation  of  the 
truth  that  "all  men  are  created  free  and  equal  and 


34^     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

with  certain  Inalienable  rights."  There  will  be  no 
''middle  walls  of  partition,"  nor  any  wars  or  ru- 
mors of  wars;  for  swords  shall  be  beaten  into  plow-] 
shares  and  spears  Into  pruning-hooks.  The  Golden 
Rule  will  be  the  Constitution  of  that  final  Re- 
public; and  every  man,  being  at  peace  with  his 
neighbor,  will  sit  content  under  his  own  vine  and 
fig-tree. 

"  Then  let  us  pray  that  come  it  may, 
As  come  it  will  for  a'  that, 
That  man  to  man,  the  world  o'er, 
Shall  brothers  be  for  a'  that." 

But  while  this  final  government  is  to  be  a  com- 
monwealth, it  will  also  be  a  Theocracy,  that  is,  a 
government  of  God.  The  constitution  of  Israel, 
"the  chosen  people,"  embodied  such  a  theocracy; 
but  that  was  only  a  foregleam,  like  a  sun-spot  on 
the  mountains  which  passes  and  is  gone.  It  will 
come  again  and  come  to  stay  in  the  last  days.  The 
King  shall  sit  upon  his  throne;  and  the  nations 
gathering  about  him  shall  see  him  as  John  saw 
him,  "a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain."  In  other 
words,  the  King  of  the  Theocracy  will  be  God  as 
manifest  in  Christ,  bearing  the  marks  of  his  pas- 
sion. And  every  knee  shall  bow  before  him  and 
every  tongue  confess  as  doubting  Thomas  did 
when,  seeing  the  nail-prints,  he  cried,  "My  Lord 
and  my  God!" 

He  who  would  see  this  regnant  Christ  must  not 
go  back  to  find  him.     Hesiod  sang  the  splendors 


Forward  to  Christ!  347 

of  a  period  of  primitive  simplicity  and  virtue 
known  as  "The  Golden  Age,"  which  was  followed 
successively  by  the  Silver,  the  Brazen  and  finally 
the  Iron  Age,  which  marked  the  lowest  level  of 
the  descent  of  man.  In  Milton's  "Hymn  of  the 
Nativity"  he  holds  us  for  a  time  entranced  with 
the  primeval  music  of  spheres  and  angels,  and 
then  arrests  our  contemplation  in  these  words, 

'*  For  if  such  holy  song 
Enwrap  our  fancy  long, 
Time  will  run  back  and  fetch  the  age  of  gold!  " 

But  time  must  not  run  back  to  fetch  it ;  the  Golden 
Age  Is  before  us.  And  It  draws  nearer  every  day. 
The  century  in  which  we  are  living  Is,  thus  far, 
the  very  best  of  all. 

*'  We  are  living,  we  are  dwelling. 
In  a  grand  and  awful  time; 
In  an  age  on  ages,  telling. 
To  be  living  is  sublime! 

It  is  the  age  of  reason;  it  is  the  age  of  humanity; 
it  is  the  age  of  character;  It  Is  the  age  of  spiritual 
dynamics.  Not  for  nothing  has  the  world  been 
rolling  around  the  sun  through  the  centuries  gone 

The  disciples,  on  the  last  journey  through  Cae- 
sarea-PhllippI,  were  right  In  supposing  that  Christ 
was  moving  on  to  his  throne.  The  dream  of  sov- 
ereignty was  premature,  that  was  all.     The  cross. 


348     Its  Organization:  The  Church 

with  vast  stretches  of  intervening  history  beyond 
it,  was  needful  to  Its  final  realization.  The  hand- 
ful of  woebegone  disciples  who  left  Golgotha  in 
the  gathering  shadows  of  that  tragic  day  did  not 
know  that  they  were  the  vanguard  of  an  advancing 
host  that,  increasing  in  numbers  from  century  to 
century,  with  the  red  cross  banner  borne  aloft,  was 
destined  to  usher  in  the  millennium  with  the  shout, 
*'Long  live  the  King."  To-day  there  are  five  hun- 
dred millions  of  people  in  the  world  who  cry,  "Ho- 
sanna  to  the  Son  of  David!" 

And  Jesus  goes  before  them.  As  the  white 
plume  of  Henry  of  Navarre  was  ever  seen  in  the 
forefront  of  battle,  so  the  Captain  of  our  salva- 
tion leads  on  to  the  final  conquest  of  the  world 
for  truth  and  righteousness.  Our  watchword  is, 
"Forward  to  Christ!"  Follow  the  Leader! 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ! 
Up  with  your  hearts,  O  followers  of  Christ,  and 
on  to  the  Golden  Age! 

Meanwhile  the  disciples  are  still  questioning, 
"Who  shall  be  greatest  in  the  kingdom?"  Who 
shall  sit  on  the  King's  right  hand  and  who  on  his 
left?  One  of  God's  mighty  ones  nearly  a  century 
ago  heard  the  Macedonian  cry  of  the  Dark  Con- 
tinent and  set  forth  as  a  missionary  to  preach  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  His  life  was  spent 
in  the  forests  and  jungles;  and  his  mighty  heart 
was  moved  by  the  horrors  of  the  slave-trade  which 
he  called  "the  open  sore  of  the  world."  He  died 
in  mid-Africa  with  not  a  white  face  near  him.  As 
he  lay  burning  with  fever  a  native  asked,  "Are  you 


Forward  to  Christ!  349 

a  Mohammedan?"  His  answer  was,  "No;  I  am 
a  child  of  Jesu  ben  Miriam!"  He  was  found  in 
the  early  morning,  dead,  upon  his  knees;  and  be- 
side him  were  his  last  written  words,  "O  God,  heal 
the  open  sore!" 

Are  we  asking  who  shall  be  greatest  In  the  king- 
dom ?  He  shall  be  greatest  who,  like  Livingstone, 
has  done  his  utmost  for  the  King !  In  the  day  of 
the  final  triumph  gold  will  seem  but  yellow  dust 
and  crowns  but  baubles,  while  he  who  has  added  a 
star  to  the  King's  diadem  will  be  reckoned  great- 
est of  all. 

We  serve  the  Christ  of  progress :  the  Christ  who 
Is  always  yet  never  the  same;  who  grows  more 
glorious  as  the  world  in  the  process  of  time 
changes  Its  relations  to  him.  To  see  Christ,  there- 
fore, we  must  keep  our  eyes  to  the  fore;  and  to 
serve  him  we  must  needs  follow  him.  The  man 
who  looks  over  his  shoulder  cannot  keep  step  with 
the  advancing  years.  Old  things  have  passed 
away;  behold,  all  things  have  become  new.  And 
the  world  is  more  and  more  "amazed"  as  it  be- 
holds the  glory  of  the  King  of  kings  moving^  on — 
ever  moving  on  toward  the  Golden  Age. 

**  Ring  out  the  old,  ring  in  the  new! 
Ring  out  the  false,  ring  in  the  true! 
Ring  out  old  forms  of  foul  disease! 
Ring  in  the  thousand  years  of  peace! 
Ring  in  the  valiant  man  and  free. 
With  larger  heart  and  kindlier  hand! 
Ring  out  the  darkness  of  the  land! 
Ring  in  the  Christ  that  is  to  be!  " 


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